Coffee and Lost Hours
by JessieWills
Summary: Sequel to Coffee and Scribbles! Basically following straight on from Coffee and Scribbles. What will happen in their relationships? What new hurdles do they have to face? Disclaimer: Castle is not mine!
1. Chapter 1

Kate was terrified as she walked through the crowded hospital, not knowing to think. There had been an accident! Rick and Alexis had been in a car accident while she'd been receiving her certificate and awarded for becoming Officer Beckett with her father watching proudly in the audience. Approaching the end of the corridor, Kate sighed as she saw the older redhead standing down the corridor with her arms wrapped around her chest as tears continued to run down her cheeks.

"Martha" Kate sobbed, watching as the redhead turned and quickly walked over to the brunette before her arms tightened around the teenager who quickly buried her face into her shoulder; not knowing what to do but sob. "Are they okay? Please Martha are they going to be okay?" she said through the tears as she kept her head buried into Martha's shoulder while the older redhead ran her hand gently up and down Kate's back.

"Rick's going to be fine, he just has a broken ankle" Martha whispered as Kate tensed. Alexis! What about the sweet six year old who Kate adored more than anything in the world?

"What about Alexis? Is Alexis going to be okay Martha?" Kate asked as she moved away from the older woman and stared up at her in concern.

"Alexis was on the side of the car where the cab hit into them, her side took all of the force of the crash" the redhead admitted as Kate lifted her glove covered hand to cover her mouth as she felt her shock increase.

"Is she…?" Kate whispered as tears filled her eyes at the idea of the small girl no longer having a life anymore. Shaking her head quickly, Martha quickly found Kate's other hand and squeezed it tightly as tears ran down both their cheeks for a moment.

"She's in a coma, her right leg is shattered and her right arm is broken. A couple of her ribs are broken as well" Martha admitted as she moved to sit down on a free seat before Kate moved to take the space beside her. "Richard's asleep at the moment but he's going to wake up soon apparently, he'd like it if you were there" the redhead muttered as Kate nodded slowly, not knowing what else to say. She needed to be there for someone. She needed to be there for someone who needed her. "I'm going to go and visit Alexis, Richard's just through that room there" the redhead explained as she pointed across at a particular ward while Kate nodded slowly and stood up walked towards the ward before entering to see Rick lying in the bed in the corner fast asleep, his face covered in bruises.

"Oh Rick" Kate whispered to herself before walking over and sitting gently on the edge of the bed before taking hold of his hand. His face had one major bruise from where he'd obviously smashed into the window during the impact and his hand had stitches in from where glass must have smashed into his skin. "You look very manly Rick but please don't do this to me again" the brunette smiled as tears ran down her cheeks again. "I need you to wake up soon please; I need to see your eyes. I need to know that you're okay so I can just worry about Alexis because it'll kill me to worry about both of you especially when she's going to need all of my attention" she admitted, thinking about the comatosed girl who would be in ICU with the support of her grandmother. "Wake up writer man, please wake up because I need you" she begged as she leant across and gently pressed a kiss to his lips, her eyes shutting as she realised that he wasn't going to respond to her touch. Moving into the chair that was resting beside the bed, Kate sighed as she held onto his hand while the tears continued to run down her cheeks. "We're supposed to be celebrating Rick. We're supposed to be celebrating the fact that I've passed and we're supposed to be going to home to make dinner together and celebrate by making love all night" she sobbed, her eyes shutting as she waited for him to wake up; knowing that was what life was going to be now. It was going to be a waiting game!

XOOXOXOXOXO

"He's still hasn't woken up yet sweetheart?" Jim asked as she shook her head and looked up to see her father standing beside her with two coffees in his hands. "Here, I thought you might need one with the day that you're having" the older man explained, holding out his daughter's coffee as she nodded slowly and took it from him, relaxing as she gently took a sip of the warm liquid and looked across at the writer. "How are you feeling?" he asked, staring down at her to see that she was still dressed in her uniform while her dark hair began to fall out of the bun she'd pulled it into.

"I just want him to wake up daddy; I want him to wake up so all I really have to worry about is Alexis. I can't cope with them both being sick" Kate whispered as tears silently ran down her cheeks. They'd been coming to see her. Rick and Alexis had been coming to see her graduate when they'd been hit by a cab! "They were coming to see me dad, they were coming to see me when they were hurt" she muttered as Jim shook his head before leaning down and pressing a kiss into her dark hair.

"They're going to be okay sweetheart, is there anything I can do?" he asked as she nodded and stared at him.

"Can you go and get me an overnight bag? I'm not leaving Rick until he wakes up and I want to spend some time with Alexis as well" Kate whispered as the older man nodded and watched as she stared across at the writer. "Can you also go upstairs and see Martha and Alexis? I just want to know how she is and whether there's been any improvement but I don't want to leave Rick alone when he needs someone" the brunette explained as Jim nodded gently and quickly moved towards the exit, only turning around for a moment to see Kate now sitting in the chair with her head buried against the side of the bed. He hated seeing his little girl hurt, especially when he knew he couldn't make it any better.

XOXOOXOXOXOX

Hearing footsteps, Kate sighed as she slowly looked up to see a nurse walking towards her with a bag in her hands; a small smile covering her elderly face as she looked across at the machine that was attached to the writer before scribbling down the results and looking at her.

"These are your husband's possessions" the woman stated as Kate nodded slowly, desperately not wanting to correct her mistake. "You've got a beautiful family" she commented as confusion covered Kate's face at the comment. "He has a photograph of you and your daughter in his wallet" the woman explained as Kate nodded slowly and slid her hand into the bag to remove his ring. "You can put it back on him if you like" she admitted.

"Thank you" Kate whispered before she gently moved and slid the ring onto his ring finger before leaning down and kissing him again before her hand brushed up to his cheek. "I love you Rick, I love you so much" the brunette sighed before she relaxed back in the chair and began to go through his bag. Pulling out an old notebook, Kate smiled as she slowly opened it and stared at Rick's familiar scribbled handwriting that covered the page. "What's this then writer man?" she asked quickly, skipping through to see that most of the book was full. "You haven't told me about a new book Rick" she muttered to herself before staring down at the first word on the page that was completely alone; acting like it was the pieces title. _Kate. _

_Kate. _

_I met a girl today, well a young woman. Dark hair, stunning eyes you get lost in and a beautiful laugh you just want to listen to all day. Kate Beckett. I go out for a coffee and some time alone in an attempt to write more of the book like mother and Gina have both ordered and there she was; a diamond in a crowd of costume jewellery. The real thing! She's not trying to be someone who she isn't. She's just Katherine Beckett, Kate. She's not like anyone I've met before. She's not an actress like Meredith who's desperate for attention and doesn't understand reality because her dream world seems so much better and she's not a fan girl who's desperate to be spoilt and only interested in my money. She just seems genuine!_

Smiling gently at what Rick had written, Kate skipped onto some later pages, knowing it was wrong to be reading what seemed to be his diary but she was desperate to just have some part of him with her at that moment. It was comforting because she could imagine his voice reading the words while she read them.

_I had an amazing dream last night which I hadn't ever thought about. It started with Kate, Alexis and me playing on the beach and then suddenly everything changed and Kate was pregnant. I can't believe how beautiful she looked almost nine months pregnant in my mind. A baby! I mean I've had small thoughts about Kate and me in the future but a baby is a massive thing especially when she's just nineteen. Maybe one day. Anyway the dream changed again and Kate was just lying in bed with this tiny baby in her arms! She was holding our new born son and it all seemed so perfect. He looked like me but he had her amazing eyes, those eyes that made me fall in love with her in the first place. I can't help but wonder does Kate want this one day? Can Kate imagine us starting a family in the future? _

Staring up at him, Kate sighed as tears continued to run down her cheeks at the dream. He was thinking of children and a future. He wanted to have a family with her one day when they were ready. He was thinking about her fully pregnant and her holding their new born son and it wasn't scaring her like she wanted it too because it meant he wanted to be here and she knew he would fight for that.

"I want that too Rick" she admitted in shock before entwining her fingers with his. "One day when things have settled down and Alexis is a bit older and I've got a stable job, I want to have that future with you" she laughed before kissing his hand gently. "The nurse thinks we're married anyway Mr Castle" she laughed gently as she stared down at her ring. "I guess in a way we are married Rick" she muttered before sighing. "We live together, we wear rings, we're not interested in other people and most of all we love each other" she listed before laughing gently at the idea that had come into her head. "I guess I'm married to you Richard Castle without all the legal stuff" she admitted before relaxing back with his hand in hers. Feeling someone squeeze her hand a moment later, Kate sat up quickly to see Rick slowly opening his eyes in pain.

"Kate" he muttered as she nodded, leaning across quickly to kiss him gently as she laughed through the small amount of tears that were running down her face. "Where am I?" he asked quickly as pain slowly began to take over his body.

"The hospital, you were involved in a car accident remember" she explained as he nodded slowly, groaning as he felt sharp pain run through his ankle. "You have a broken ankle, you're going to have to take it easy for a while" she admitted, remembering everything a distressed Martha had told her when she'd arrived at the hospital earlier that day.

"We were coming to see you graduate" he muttered, noticing the uniform she was wearing. "Let me see you" he whispered, her smile growing as she stood up and showed him the uniform she was wearing. "Very sexy" he commented weakly as she laughed gently before pressing a kiss to his cheek as a thank you. "Where's Alexis?" he asked quickly, his worry building up as he remembered the piercing scream of his daughter as the car smacked into the side of the car. "Oh god Kate where's Alexis? She was screaming and I couldn't get to her, she needs me Kate. She needs my help, she was screaming for me" he blurted out, attempting to sit up as she shook her head and rested her hand on his shoulder to stop him from moving and making things worse. "Kate I need to see my little girl please".

"I know but your mother is with her right now, she's not alone and I'm going to go and visit her later I promise" she admitted. "Rick, Alexis is really hurt. Her side of the car got the most damage" she admitted as his face crumbled and tears ran down his cheeks at the idea of his baby being hurt and him not being able to be with her. "Her right arm and leg are completely broken and she's in a coma" she whispered as tears filled her eyes as her boyfriend continued to sob. "She's going to be fine Rick, she's going to be fine" she whispered, not knowing whether what she was actually saying was true or not.

**So what do you think? The next chapter will have Alexis in it and more Kate and Rick in it as well. **

**I hope you enjoyed it and please review, I desperately want to know what you think and whether you think I should continue with it. **

**Thanks**


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm literally still in shock from the huge amount of reviews that last chapter received. So thank you and I hope you enjoy this chapter and review again! I really do love hearing from you. **

Entering the private room, Kate bit into her lip as silent tears ran down her cheek. This was the beautiful and lively girl she'd fallen in love with and she didn't even recognise her. She looked so small in the middle of the bed with what felt like a million wires attached to skin which was covered everywhere in black bruises, obvious stitches covering where her skin had been cut open during the collision. She looked like she was in so much pain and yet she looked so peaceful, it shocked her. Walking closer, the brunette sighed as she gently pressed a kiss to Alexis' forehead.

"Hey little one, I'm here now and I'm not going anywhere without you or your daddy again" Kate whispered, sitting herself in the space beside the small girl while her hands held one of hers tightly. "Your daddy is so worried about you Lex, he'd come and visit but he's hurt his ankle and can't walk and the doctor's won't let him out of bed yet. I guess I'm going to have to look after my favourite people for a while" she admitted as she gently brushed a stray hair away from Alexis' face. "We're going to be a family now Lex, we're going to be on big happy family" she explained, still attempting to convince herself that everything was going to be okay. "Wake up baby, please wake up" she begged, unable to stop herself from crying as she held Alexis' hand.

"Kate darling" Martha whispered as she entered the room to see the sobbing brunette staring at the young redhead. "Oh sweetheart, don't cry" the older redhead sighed, staring down at the uniform Kate was still wearing. "Why don't you go back to the loft, have a shower and change? Just take an hour to yourself to process everything" Martha suggested as Kate shook her head, not wanting to leave the little girl who needed her more than ever. "I promise I'll call the loft if anything changes with either of them, just go and sort yourself out" she whispered, pressing a kiss into Kate's hair as the brunette's arms wrapped around her, desperate for some comfort. "I know it seems scary now but they're going to be okay" Martha soothed as Kate sobbed in her arms.

"I can't lose them Martha, I can't lose them as well" the brunette admitted, finally admitting the true fear that was running through her veins. She was scared she was going to lose someone else that she loved. "I'm sorry" Kate whispered, moving away slowly from the older woman as embarrassment took over. What was she doing? This was Martha's family! This was her son and granddaughter and she was comforting her.

"Don't even apologise for loving them Kate because you're their world" the redhead whispered, gently pressing a kiss to Kate's forehead as the brunette slowly nodded. "Now, I'm here with Alexis, she's not going to be on her own so go and see Rick, explain that you're going to go home for a while and then come back later" Martha ordered as Kate slowly nodded, knowing that the older woman was right. "Get a couple of hours sleep as well, I know it's difficult but you look exhausted" she whispered as Kate slowly moved off the bed before gently pressing a kiss to Alexis' forehead.

"I love you beautiful girl, I love you so much and nothing is going to change that" Kate whispered as she remained close to the six year old for a moment. "I'll be back soon" the brunette explained before walking towards the door, knowing if she stayed any longer she wouldn't leave. Walking slowly down the corridor, Kate ran her hands across her cheeks to wipe away any tears that were still decorating her face before she approached elevator and hit the button; knowing that she needed to see Rick before she left. Slipping into the empty elevator, the brunette sighed as she stared at herself in the mirror, hating how emotional she looked as she waited for the doors to open and allow her to visit the man she loved. Walking out of the lift, Kate sighed as she approached the ward and stepped inside to see Rick sat up and reading a book; his bruised face still shocking her every time she looked at it.

"How's Alexis?" Rick asked as he looked up from what he was reading to see Kate standing there. "Kate please, I just want to know about my little girl" he begged as Kate bit into her lip, not knowing what to tell him. He knew her injuries but there was nothing she could tell him. Alexis wasn't awake, she just looked like she was sleeping.

"She looks like she's sleeping" Kate whispered as Rick nodded slowly. "She looks peaceful Rick, she looks so peaceful" the brunette explained as the writer nodded again. "I don't know what to tell you Rick, she's in a coma, she's not saying anything and she doesn't move. She just looks like she's sleeping" the brunette admitted as the writer nodded slowly. "She's got a lot of bruises, more than you" she whispered, remembering the purple and black colour of most of Alexis' skin. "And a lot of stitches as well but that's understandable" she muttered as Rick nodded again, desperately trying not to cry at the idea of his daughter being in so much pain. "Your mom's with her" she added quickly, wanting to settle any ideas that Alexis might be alone.

"Thank you" he whispered as she nodded slowly. "You look exhausted sweetheart" he commented as she laughed gently.

"Crying is an exhausting sport" she joked as Rick smiled, reaching across to find her hand a few seconds later.

"Go to the loft, get some sleep, you need it. I can't have you getting sick as well" he admitted as she laughed gently, remembering everything Martha had said a few minutes ago to her.

"You sound like your mother" Kate admitted before standing up and smiling. "I'll be gone three hours at the most Rick, I'll sleep for a couple of hours and then I'll come back okay?" she stated as he nodded, her body leaning down quickly to kiss him for a second. "Get some rest, you need to relax Rick" she explained as he groaned, a small smile covering her face as she looked at him; her fingers running across his bruised cheek. "I love you" she whispered gently as he nodded and kissed her again.

"I love you too" he smiled before moving away from her. "Now go home, oh and there's something in the spare bedroom. Can you find it for me?" he asked, her head nodding before she moved away from him and approached the door; knowing that she did need to sleep and have a shower before she did anything else.

XOOXOOXOXOXOX

Unlocking the door to the loft, Kate sighed as she saw the welcome home banner hanging from the walls and a pile of presents waiting on a table. They'd planned a party for her! They'd had everything ready and perfect and yet here she was alone! Walking over to the table, Kate sighed as she slowly found the card that was resting above the presents; her smile growing as she slowly opened the envelope and pulled out the congratulations card. Opening it slowly, Kate sat down as she stared at Rick's scribbled handwriting.

_Officer Beckett _

_I knew you could do it from the moment you told me that this is what you wanted, so I am now the proud boyfriend of the amazing Officer Katherine Beckett who as expected is at the top of everything. I still can't believe that you're now a cop but I can't wait to see you in that sexy uniform more often because you look amazing in everything; people are just going to break the law so they can see you. _

_I love you _

_Rick _

Feeling tears run down her cheeks, Kate sighed as she slowly put the card on the table and moved to see her stuff filling the apartment in specific places. Approaching the book case, Kate smiled at how Rick's books and her books had come together to form a crazy collection of a variety of similar literature. Turning around, Kate felt the tears continue to run down her cheeks as she stared at the childhood photos of her with her mother and father that decorated the surfaces and the picture she'd spent weeks saving up for and had cleaned far too many cars for to buy was now hanging on the wall.

"You've moved me in" she laughed in amazement before remembering that Rick wanted something Kate from the spare room. Running up the stairs, Kate sighed as she approached the spare room and gently pushed the door open before laughing at everything that was in front of her. He'd removed the bed and the wardrobe that had been in there originally and the room now looked like a private gym. "Oh wow" she smiled, approaching the equipment as she gently ran her fingers across them. He'd done all of this for her! Hearing a knock on the door downstairs, Kate smiled as she quickly ran back down the stairs and opened the door to see Javier, Lanie and Kevin standing in the doorway. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

"We brought your things home and we wanted to see how you were, we just went to the hospital and saw Rick" Lanie explained as she slipped into the apartment and wrapped her arms around her friend. "How are you doing?" she asked as Kate shrugged.

"I would be better if Alexis was awake but I'm doing alright at the moment, I've come back to have a shower and sort myself out and then I'm going to go back in a couple of hours" she admitted before relaxing back on the couch as her three friends quickly moved over to sit on the other couch. "Did you have any idea about Rick moving me in?" Kate asked Lanie quickly as the medical student nodded and smiled at her.

"We all helped Kate. Rick, Alexis, me, Jim and Martha" she explained as Kate laughed gently at the whole arrangement she'd been completely unaware of. "It was Alexis' idea, she's excited about you moving in" the medical student explained as Kate nodded. "Did you see the spare room?" she asked.

"Yes, it's amazing" Kate laughed gently, sad that she wasn't sharing this moment with her writer and favourite redhead. "I just wish Rick and Alexis were here" she mumbled, tears appearing in her eyes as Lanie wrapped her arms around her. "She's my baby Lanie, I might not have carried her or given birth to her or have been here all of her life but she's still my baby. I see her as my baby and I hate how hurt she is because she was coming to see me" she admitted as she continued to cry.

"Boys go and make a coffee" Lanie ordered as Javier nodded and stood up, disappearing towards the kitchen with Kevin as the medical student tightened her arms around Kate. "She's going to be okay Kate, she's a strong little girl" she admitted as she held her sobbing friend close. "She's going to need a lot of help when she comes out of the coma Kate, she's not going to be able to walk and she's going to depend on you because Rick's going to have to relax as well" Lanie explained as Kate nodded, knowing deep down that Alexis and Rick were both going to be dependent on her.

"I'm ready for that, I want to do that" she admitted, shocking Lanie slightly. "They're my family and you do anything for the ones you love" she whispered as the medical student nodded, knowing that Kate was right.

XOOXOXOOXOXOX

Entering her bedroom after Lanie and the boys had left, Kate sighed as she stared at the large canvas that was placed above the bed. It was one of Kate's favourite photos where Alexis was sat behind her birthday while Kate and Rick were both placing kisses on her cheeks with large smiles covering their faces. Slipping out of her uniform, Kate sighed as she approached the bed and slipped under the covers before grabbing a pillow and placing it where Rick usually slept before wrapping her arms around it. She missed him. She needed him. She hated that all their plans had been destroyed because of a stupid man who couldn't follow rules while driving.

XOOXOXOXOOXOXO

"You've been a busy man Mr Castle, a very busy man" Kate stated as she entered the hospital to see him staring at her already with a small smile covering his face. Leaning down, Kate laughed as she gently pressed a kiss to his lips. "Thank you, the loft looks amazing. I love it" she admitted as he nodded and entwined his fingers with hers again. "I didn't open the presents though, I just opened your card" she explained.

"Good, I want to see you open them and so will Alexis, she chose most of them. It was her idea to buy you presents actually" he admitted before she gently sat down in the space beside him and sighed. "I see you brought Rory with you Kate" he commented, noticing the lion that was resting on the chair beside the bed.

"Alexis gave him to me for when I was away, it's time to give him back so he can work his magic" she admitted as the writer nodded and sighed. "How are you feeling?" she whispered.

"Drugged up, in pain, exhausted and worried about my beautiful little girl" he admitted as tears filled his eyes. "I don't think I've ever cried this much" he whispered as she shook her head and gently kissed him, not wanting to see him cry again.

"It's going to be okay I promise" she mumbled gently. "It's going to take a while to get back to normal but we're going to manage it Rick because we're a family" she whispered as he stared at her. "I'm going to look after you both. I'm going to cook and clean and make sure that you have everything you need" she explained as he laughed gently, shocked at how much she was already planning on doing for him.

"What about becoming a cop Kate?" he asked.

"Family first, cop second" she stated before standing up and smiling. "I'll be back in a minute, I want to give Alexis Rory" she explained as the writer nodded and watched as she picked the toy lion up and quietly left the room. Entering Alexis' room a few moments later, Kate smiled as she saw Martha sat beside the bed reading a book to the younger redhead. "I brought someone back for my favourite little girl" Kate stated as Martha looked at her and smiled as Kate approached the bed and slid the toy lion under Alexis' arm before pressing another kiss to her forehead.

"Thank you" Martha whispered as Kate nodded. "What did you think of the apartment?" she asked.

"I love it although it doesn't feel right without my family being there too" she explained as she relaxed. "I better go, I promised Rick I'd be back soon" she admitted as the redhead nodded quickly and watched as Kate stared at Alexis for a moment.

"You'll be the first person who knows when she wakes up" the redhead whispered as Kate nodded and slowly walked towards the door. "She loves you Kate, you know that right?" Martha asked as the brunette nodded. "She sees you as her mom" she added.

"I know" Kate mumbled. "I know she does" she admitted as Martha nodded, glad that there was some sort of motherly influence in her granddaughter's life finally.

**So what do you think? **


	3. Chapter 3

Wheeling the writer into the room, Kate sighed as she felt Rick gasp in shock at the sight of his little girl wired up to a million machines. Kate still couldn't use to the sight of Alexis Castle being perfectly still instead of sitting around and laughing and discussing things that everyone would fall silent and listen too. Stopping the wheelchair, Kate watched as Rick quickly found his daughter's hand and squeezed it, tears filling his eyes as Alexis didn't squeeze back.

"Hey pumpkin" he whispered, his voice almost breaking as Kate shut her eyes before resting her hand on his shoulder for support. "Daddy's here now sweetheart and he's not going anywhere again, Katie's here too and neither of us are ever going to leave you alone" he explained as Kate nodded slowly, knowing that he was right. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you Lex, I really did try" he sobbed, shock covering Kate's face as she knelt down, amazed that the writer was blaming himself. "I couldn't move sweetheart and I'm so sorry that you got hurt" he muttered, falling silent when Kate took hold of his other hand and gently kissed it.

"This isn't your fault sweetheart" Kate whispered as he stared at her with tears running down his face. "It's the fault of the man who drove his car into your cab" she admitted before leaning up and gently pressing a kiss to his lips. "You did nothing wrong here Rick, she's still going to love you as much as she did five days ago when she wakes up because you're her dad and she adores everything about you" she admitted as he nodded slowly, unable to smile while his daughter lay beside them in a coma. "I love you" she whispered gently.

"I love you too" he muttered before she gently kissed him, moving away when they heard the doors behind them fling open. Turning his head, Rick turned to see a familiar redhead standing in the doorway with her arms full of shopping bags. "Hello Meredith" he stated as the woman approached them. "We called you five days ago Meredith, where have you been?" he asked.

"Auditions of course, I can't just leave my work because Alexis is a little bit hurt" the redhead explained as shock covered Kate's face. How could she not see that Alexis was more than a little bit hurt? How could she even think about putting auditions before her six year old daughter? "Anyway your mother said she was in a coma Richard so it's not like she knows I'm here anyway" she stated as Kate shook her head, moving away from the writer and towards the small girl who was lying on the bed. "What are you doing in here Katherine? You're not family" Meredith declared.

"Kate is family Meredith and she's allowed to be here if she wants to be" Rick stated, attempting to remain calm as he stared up at his ex-wife wondering what he ever saw in the selfish excuse of a woman. "And what's with all the shopping?" Rick asked, staring across at the bags that were now covering the floor.

"I'm in New York, I had to go shopping while I had the opportunity" Meredith stated before approaching the bed and staring at how Kate was holding onto Alexis' hand. "She's not your daughter Katherine, so stop acting like she is" Meredith stated as Kate shut her eyes, knowing that she wasn't Alexis' mother and Meredith was. She couldn't fight with that, however much she wanted to scream out that the little girl they were all fighting about was a daughter to her and she loved her more than anything in the world. Standing, Kate sighed as she approached the empty chair and sat down as Rick just watched her in confusion.

"Why didn't you call Meredith at least a couple of times to see whether there was any change?" Rick asked, desperately wanting there to be some part of Meredith that actually wanted to be concerned about her daughter.

"I was busy, I have things to do as well" the redhead stated.

"I'm going to get a drink, do you want anything Rick?" Kate asked quickly as she stood up and felt the writer grab onto her hand, not knowing what to say to her. He knew she was hurt by Meredith's comments and he knew she'd want to fight as well but was stopping herself because of the little girl who she was afraid would hear everything. "Do you want anything Rick because I need a coffee desperately?" she whispered as he shook his head and gently pressed a kiss to her hand. Slipping out of the room, Kate sighed as she walked down the corridor alone; thinking about how her moment with Rick and Alexis had completely been destroyed.

XOOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Hearing sobbing, Kate felt her body move slightly faster as she approached the ward to see Alexis sobbing in the middle of the bed in confusion as Meredith sat beside her; attempting to tightly wrap her arms around the small girl.

"Mommy, mommy, I want my mommy" the small redhead sobbed as Meredith attempted to grab her hand to comfort her. "Mommy" Alexis moaned, pulling her hand away from Meredith. "I want my mommy now".

"Sweetheart, I'm here" Meredith declared, looking across at him at in amusement at the fact that there little girl wanted her first and not him. "Alexis sweetheart mommy's here" she stated as Alexis shook her head and looked across to see Kate standing in the doorway. Reaching out, the redhead stared at Kate who slowly walked towards her and took hold of her hand as Meredith started in shock as her daughter stopped crying and stared up at the brunette.

"I'm here baby girl, I'm here you wonderful little girl" Kate whispered as Alexis smiled weakly up at her. "It's nice to see you awake pumpkin, I've missed those beautiful eyes of yours Alexis Castle" she explained, leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead in amazement.

"Mommy" Alexis whispered, cuddling into her side as Kate gently ran her fingers through the six years old hair, confused at the fact that the redhead had woken up calling her mommy all of a sudden.

"It's okay sweetheart, everything's going to be okay" Kate explained as she kept the small girl close to her as Rick smiled proudly. "I need to go and get a doctor sweetheart, they need to come and check on you" Kate explained, knowing that it would take too long for Rick to go and find someone. Attempting to move off the bed, Kate stopped when Alexis fisted her hand into Kate's t-shirt, stopping her from moving away.

"Alexis pumpkin, Katie needs to go and get you a doctor so they can see how you are" Rick explained as Meredith remained silent, frustration covering her face as she watched the interaction between what looked like the perfect family. "Or maybe you could go and find a doctor Meredith seeing that our daughter is awake and needs help" Rick declared as he looked across at the ex-wife before shrugging and walking out of the room slowly. "How are you feeling beautiful?" Rick asked as he attempted to move the chair closer to the bed but failing.

"Here let me do it" Kate whispered, attempting to move off the bed as Alexis clung onto her tighter. "I'm not going anywhere sweetheart I promise. I'm just going to move daddy closer so he can hold your hand properly" she explained as the redhead nodded slowly and let go of Kate's t-shirt. Moving off the bed, Kate sighed as she slowly moved the wheelchair closer to the bed before staring at Alexis in amazement. Hearing footsteps, Kate sighed as she turned to look at the redhead woman who was laughing at something the doctor had said on the way inside.

"Good morning Alexis" the doctor smiled as Alexis stared at him confusion. "How are you feeling?" he asked as Alexis stared across at Kate who moved closer and quickly sat down beside her.

"It's okay sweetheart, you need to tell the doctor how you're feeling so he can make you better" Kate whispered as she stared down at the redhead before pressing a kiss into her hair gently.

"I feel okay" Alexis muttered as she wrapped her arms around her toy lion and yawned. "I'm sleepy" the redhead whispered as Kate nodded gently and moved off of the bed and watched as Alexis shut her eyes, yawning again as she relaxed. "Don't leave mommy" the redhead whispered as Kate slowly moved to the spare chair beside the bed.

"I'm not going anywhere sweetheart, I'm not going anywhere for a long time I promise" Kate admitted as the doctor excused himself and left the ward in silent as Meredith just stared at them.

"Alexis sweetheart I'm going to head to the hotel now, I'll come and see you tomorrow" Meredith explained, surprised when her daughter remained silent. "Alexis, be polite and say goodbye to me" the older redhead stated, her anger building up at everything that had happened that afternoon. "Alexis, I've come all the way from California to come and see you so stop being a selfish little girl and at least say goodbye to me" the woman practically hollered at her daughter, anger covering both Kate and Rick's face as Alexis burst into tears.

"Meredith" Rick announced as Kate moved towards Alexis and gently pressed a kiss to her forehead before humming a song that her mother used to sing to the small girl quietly, hoping to calm her down. "I think you should leave and not come back until you learn some control Meredith" the writer stated, glaring up at the redhead who was staring at him in shock.

"I'm her mother Richard, Kate is nothing to her. Kate didn't carry her for nine months, Kate didn't give birth to her, Kate is just a woman who has walked into your life and believes she can take over everything" Meredith declared, her anger building up as Kate stared at her before standing up and walking towards her.

"Leave now" Kate stated furiously.

"Excuse me?" Meredith asked in shock.

"You heard me Meredith, leave now. Go away and don't come back until you learn to act like Alexis' mother" Kate declared as the redhead stared at her, shock still covering her face in amazement. "You made your own daughter cry and she's just come out of a coma, she doesn't need that stress at the moment. So come back when you've learnt to be a mother and not to be selfish because the whole world doesn't involve around you, your world should revolve around Alexis" she declared, attempting not to shout as she turned around to see Alexis clutching onto Rory with her bruised but not broken arm. Silently grabbing her shopping from the pile on the floor, Meredith glared across at her daughter before leaving the room; slamming the door behind her as Rick relaxed back in the wheelchair, amazed at what Kate had just done. Now he knew he had found his one and done and he wasn't going to let her go.

XOXOXOXOOXOXOXO

"I don't want you to go" Alexis sobbed as Kate smiled at her and gently sat down on the edge of the bed, her lips pressing against Alexis' forehead before she moved back and stared down at her. "Can you stay please?" she begged as Kate turned to look at the nurse who nodded slowly, a small smile covering Kate's face as she mouthed thank you at the older woman before looking down at the redhead.

"I'm staying tonight sweetheart, try and keep me away but I need to go to the loft and get some clothes" Kate explained, not hearing as the door opened and Martha walked in holding a bag with a large smile covering her face at the sight of her granddaughter.

"Grams" Alexis smiled.

"Hey sweetheart, how are you feeling?" Martha asked as she walked over and gently pressed a kiss to each of Alexis' cheek. "I brought someone a bag of pyjamas so she doesn't need to go home again tonight" the older woman declared as she looked across at Kate who smiled and thanked her quickly in amazement. "Richard called me, told me everything you did today and that it would be impossible to pull you away from this one" the redhead explained as Kate laughed gently.

"You do anything for family right?" Kate muttered as Martha nodded.

"You'd do anything for them yes" the redhead repeated before wrapping an arm around the brunette who rested into her side silently. "Thank you for coming into our family Kate, I don't know where we'd be without you" Martha admitted as Kate smiled at the older woman's comments. "Are you both alright for the evening? The nurse is bringing in a cot for you Kate and I'm just a phone call away if you need anything from the loft tonight" Martha explained as Kate nodded and hugged her.

"Thank you" Kate whispered.

"You don't need to thank me for anything, you're family Kate, it's what we do" the redhead whispered, her arms tightening around Kate for a moment before she relaxed. "Speaking of family, I need to go and see my son downstairs before visiting hours end" Martha explained as Kate nodded, understanding Martha's desperation to see her two family members while she had the opportunity. Leaning down to press a kiss to her granddaughter's forehead, Martha smiled as Alexis gently shut her eyes. "Get some sleep little one, tomorrow is going to be a long day for you" she whispered as the younger redhead groaned. "I love you".

"Love you too grams" Alexis yawned as Kate smiled, her arms wrapped around her chest as she watched the small scene; still amazed at the amount of love the small family shared. "Mommy" Alexis yawned as Kate nodded and walked towards her, shocking Martha slightly before she laughed gently.

"I told you Kate, you're family now" Martha stated before she pressed a kiss to Kate's cheek and left the room waving at the two people she was leaving behind.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

"And so, bewildered, and now staggering in her flight, she followed Tink to her doom" Kate read as she sat on the bed with Alexis curled into her side somehow. Closing the book a few seconds later, Kate sighed as she gently pressed into a kiss into Alexis' hair who mumbled something almost silently. "Do you know who Peter Pan reminds me of sometimes?" Kate asked as the redhead shook her head and stared up at the brunette. "He reminds me of your daddy because although he's grown up and become a man unlike Peter Pan, he still thinks he's a little boy in here" Kate admitted before gently pressing her finger to Alexis' head; smiling when the small girl giggled at the action. "I think it's time you got some sleep Miss Castle because all the other children are fast asleep" she admitted as she slid off the bed and moved to wrap the covers around the redhead.

"Is it bad that I call you mommy?" Alexis whispered as Kate smiled at her and shook her head gently, not knowing exactly what to say.

"You can call me whatever you like sweetheart" Kate muttered as her fingers gently brushed Alexis' hair from her face. "Now get some sleep" Kate whispered, pressing a kiss to her forehead before she gently moved to the cot that had been moved into the room for her.

"I love you" Alexis mumbled.

"I love you too sweetheart" Kate replied, meaning every word of her statement as she watched the six year old.

"You'll be here when I wake up?" Alexis asked before yawning and shutting her eyes, her good arm tightly wrapping around the toy lion that Kate had securely placed there.

"I'll always be here" Kate whispered as she lay across the small space and stared up at Alexis, just watching as the small girl fell asleep. So this was what it was like to have a family of your own!

**Honestly, I'm not sure on this chapter but it's up to you. Do you like it? Do you hate it? Are you not sure? Is there anything you want to see more of in the chapter? Less of? Tell me so I can keep you all happy and interested! **

**Thank you for the amazing response so far, it really does mean so much to me especially with the stress of exams that is starting to set so please continue to review as it just makes my stupidly long days that little bit better. **

**Also disclaimer note, the book Kate is reading it Peter Pan so don't arrest me for stealing lines from brilliance! **


	4. Chapter 4

Richard Castle couldn't help but smile as he mother wheeled him into his daughter's ward and he found himself staring at his two favourite people on the bed. Kate was relaxing back fast asleep while Alexis rested against her also fast asleep; her arm tightly wrapped around the toy lion both women loved adored for different reasons. Kate loved Rory the lion because it had been a reminder of the family she was leaving behind in New York while Alexis adored the toy as it reminded her that Kate was always going to come home to her.

"She's the best thing that happened to you Richard, except for Alexis of course" Martha muttered as Rick nodded, watching as Kate's arm tightened around the small girl. "Have you thought about what you're going to do for care Richard? For you and Alexis?" the redhead asked quickly.

"Apparently Kate's going to look after us both when we're allowed out of here, she's already told me that she's going to be our main carer" Rick admitted, knowing it was unfair to put so much pressure onto the young woman but he always knew that when Kate got an idea in her head it was better to not fight her decision. "You'll be there to help her mother won't you? I don't know how well she's going to manage all of this and I don't want her to give up on becoming a cop because we're hurt" Rick explained, knowing that he didn't want to destroy Kate's ambitions for the future because she'd worked so hard.

"Of course, I live with you darling. I'm going to be there to help you, you're my son and Alexis is my granddaughter. It's my job to be there for you" the redhead explained before falling silent when she heard a small moan before looking across to see Alexis blinking as a smile began to cover her face. Moving towards her, Martha gently pressed a kiss to her granddaughter's forehead while attempting not to disturb the sleeping brunette.

"Good morning sweetheart" Martha whispered as she moved to wheel Rick closer to the bed before she sat down in the spare chair and watched as Rick entwined his fingers with his daughter. "Did you sleep alright darling?" the redhead asked quickly as Alexis groaned gently. "I take that to be a no then Alexis" the older woman laughed as her granddaughter nodded slowly. "When did Kate come into bed with you?"

"Really early, I couldn't sleep so Katie cuddled me and told me stories about a princess and how she found her prince even though she hadn't been looking for him" Alexis admitted as Rick nodded, enjoying the fact that Kate had been there for his little girl when she needed someone more than ever. Hearing a small moan, Rick watched as Kate yawned and slowly opened her eyes to look at him before her fingers ran through Alexis' hair.

"Someone's hair needs to be brushed today" Kate commented as Alexis giggled gently and nodded. "I'll do it later sweetheart, I'll make it look all pretty for you if you want" the brunette smiled as she pressed a kiss onto the back of Alexis' head before she leant across and gently kissed the writer whose hand ran to her cheek for a moment. "How did you sleep?" Kate whispered to him as he shrugged, unable to stop himself from staring at her in an attempt to work out how he'd gotten so lucky to have a woman like her in his life.

"I slept alright, better than you probably" Rick whispered as she shrugged quickly and looked across at the little girl who was still resting against her while silently playing with her toy lion with her one decent hand. "I see that you two are reading Peter Pan now" Rick commented as he noticed the book that was resting on a nearby table.

"Katie says you remind her of Peter Pan daddy" Alexis blurted out as Martha laughed gently at the idea of it. "She says you've grown up but you're like Peter Pan in here" the redhead explained as she gently pressed her finger to her head while Kate laughed gently and tightened her arm around the six year old who relaxed back against her silently; not knowing what else to do. "I like it when Katie reads to me daddy" the redhead admitted as Rick nodded.

"I know you do sweetheart, she's good at reading stories isn't she?" Rick smiled as Alexis nodded enthusiastically as Kate laughed gently, smiling when the writer quickly looked up to see her father standing in the doorway holding a bag and a bouquet of pink roses and daisy's. "Hello Jim" Rick laughed as the man approached them and quickly walked over to press a kiss to his daughter's cheek before smiling at the redhead who was looking up at him.

"I thought I'd bring out little fighter flowers because they're beautiful and that's what people do for get well soon" he stated as Alexis beamed at the flowers the older man who was holding.

"Look mommy, they're so pretty" Alexis smiled as she looked up at Kate who nodded before noticing the confusion that covered her father's face.

"I'll go and find a vase for these" Martha stated before she walked out of the room while Jim continued to stare at his daughter and the redhead who was curled up beside her.

"Mommy?" Jim asked.

"A long story" Rick admitted as Jim nodded slowly and watched as Kate held Alexis close to her body and gently began to hum into her hair. "Kate sweetheart, why don't you go and get a coffee with your dad? I know you don't function well without your caffeine intake" Rick laughed as Kate nodded slowly and stared down at Alexis who was watching her in silence.

"Is it okay sweetheart if I go and get a coffee with my dad quickly?" Kate asked as Alexis groaned. "I won't be gone long, just one coffee and then I'll be back" Kate promised, watching as the redhead nodded and moved slightly to allow Kate out of the bed. Pressing a kiss to Alexis' cheek, the brunette sighed as she walked over to her father. "Coffee?" she asked carefully.

"Coffee" he nodded, placing the flowers down on the side before he excused himself and followed his daughter out of the room, leaving Rick and Alexis alone for their own father daughter time. Feeling her father's arms wrap around her a few moments later, the brunette sighed as she relaxed for a moment before pulling away and entering the small canteen in desperate need of a coffee. Ordering the two drinks, Kate sighed as she collected them a few moments later and silently walked over to join her father who had already moved to find them an empty table. "So mommy" he commented as she laughed and nodded.

"Yeah, Meredith wasn't impressed when Alexis started screaming it when she woke up and ignored her and wanted me instead and that I was now mommy to her" Kate sighed as her father nodded slowly, still amazed in the change of relationship. "Is it wrong to see the whole future with this one family dad?" she asked as he smiled and found himself reaching across for her hand before squeezing it gently.

"When you meet the right person you just know Kate, I knew the moment I met your mother that she was the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. She was funny and smart and extremely stubborn and I just loved everything about her" he admitted as Kate nodded slowly, desperately attempting not to cry at the mention of her mother. It still hurt inside and the happy thoughts just reminded her that she wasn't ever going to see Johanna Beckett smile again. "By the whole future you mean what exactly?" he asked quickly.

"Marriage dad and babies, god I want babies" she laughed as he smiled before looking at her in shock when he realised what she'd just said. "Not now, I don't want babies now but maybe once things with Alexis and Rick are better and I've got a stable job, then I'd like to try. Of course ideally I'd like to be married first but…" she began before noticing the horror that was covering Jim's face. "Dad" she whispered.

"I just…" he began before stopping himself. "You're nineteen Kate and you're thinking about babies with one man in particular" he whispered as the brunette nodded slowly; knowing the idea hadn't truly hit her until she'd read Rick's diary and found herself imagining their son in her arms. "I just don't know whether I feel comfortable with the idea of you being so serious about that" he admitted.

"Dad I want that future with Rick and he wants it too so it probably will. Rick will probably be the man that I end up spending the rest of my life with and I know that not many people my age stay with the same guy forever but Rick's different, Rick just understands me and he respects me" she explained before finishing her coffee and sighing.

"I know sweetheart but he's your first serious boyfriend" Jim stated. "You have all the time in the world to meet new people and for all you know, things with Rick could get serious and you could meet someone else who you…" he began before he noticed the horror that was covering his daughter's face at the idea.

"You think I'd cheat on Rick?" she asked as he bit into his lip. "I love Rick and I'd never do that and he'd never do that to me" she stated before standing up. "I'm going to see Alexis, don't hurry back" she stated before she walked away, still in shock by the thought that her father believed she would meet someone else in the future who could take her away from Rick. Entering the ward a few moments later, Kate sighed as she found Alexis fast asleep again and the writer sat in the wheelchair flicking through the copy of Peter Pan that Kate had left behind. "Hey" she whispered.

"Hey" he declared, looking up to see her attempting to smile at him. "What's wrong?" he asked, her head shaking before he frowned at her and reached across for her hand before leading her towards him and onto his lap, the brunette carefully avoiding his ankle as she sat down with her legs draped across the arm of the wheelchair. "What happened?" he whispered.

"I was talking to dad about how I could see us having a family one day and he started saying that you're my first serious relationship and one day I meet someone else and he hinted I'd cheat or just leave you" she explained, her head burying into his shoulder as the writer sighed. "I just want it so much Rick, after reading…" she began before falling silent, knowing she hadn't mentioned it to him yet.

"After reading what?" he asked before she sighed and reached across for her bag and took the diary out from it. "You've been reading my diary?" he asked as she slowly nodded, ashamed at the idea of it.

"I've only flicked through a couple of entries I promise but I found one you'd written about a dream you had where I was holding our new born son and it sounded so perfect and it just clicked" she admitted as he laughed gently and took the book from her before opening it to a specific page. "I'm sorry I know I shouldn't have read it" she began.

"Kate I'm not angry, I was going to give it to you one day anyway" he smiled as he turned the book to her so she could read the chosen page. "Read it" he whispered, her eyes looking down to see a small passage in the centre of the front page.

_To Kate, _

_I don't know when I've given it you but as I decided it would either be on our wedding day or when we have our first baby (there are going to be more) it has to be one of the two so congratulations! This just proves how you've become my muse over the years and how much you make me think of as it's all the crazy ideas and memories I have of our relationship. I started this after the very first time I met you in that coffee shop, however many years ago and I haven't stopped since. I love you Katherine Beckett (or Castle depending on whether you married me today)! _

_Always _

_Rick _

"I don't feel so bad now for reading it" she laughed as he smiled and held her hand tightly in his. "So you think we'll get there?" she asked as he nodded and gently pressed a kiss to her lips.

"I know we'll get there Kate because this is real, I know it's right" he stated before wrapping his arms around her. "I wrote the dedication after you left Miami, I actually wrote it in the airport waiting for your plane to leave and take you away from me" he admitted as she nodded slowly, not surprised because they both knew that Miami had been a turning point in their relationship along with their weekend to the Hamptons. Hearing a small moan, Kate smiled as she looked up to see Alexis still fast asleep. "Do you want me to read you my favourite one?" he asked as she nodded and cuddled against him as he flicked to a particular page. "Comfortable?" he asked quickly as she laughed.

"Of course, this is the best place to be read to Rick" she whispered, knowing there was nowhere better than being cuddled on her boyfriend's lap while he read to her.

"Today I realised that I've started to fall madly in love with Katherine Beckett" he began as she smiled gently at what he was reading outloud while attempting desperately to work out when he'd written this particular article. "We'd arranged to watch the game together as we're both fans and now we're apparently both fans of the same team, can this woman get any hotter?" he laughed as Kate rolled her eyes, still amazed that this was when he'd started to fall for her. "I answered the door this morning to find my gorgeous girlfriend looking sexier than ever in a tight pair of jeans, a Yankee's shirt and a cap on her head. But it's not her looks that made me realise how much she means to me, it was Alexis surprisingly" he read before falling silent for a moment, the two of them looking across to see the redhead fast asleep with a small smile on her face.

"She's dreaming" Kate whispered as he nodded and pressed a kiss into her hair and sighed before staring back at the page.

"Alexis arrived home earlier than expected and Kate was just amazing with her" Rick began as Kate laughed gently. "She listened as Alexis listed everything she'd bought during the day and they watched a movie together later so we never found out who won in the end, I'm telling myself that our team won because it's probably true! We also made pizzas together and in typical fashion, I ended up with more of the toppings on me than the pizza and Kate and Alexis found it hysterical. They're going to be a ganging up on me from now on" Rick smiled as Kate nodded slowly, her smile continuing to grow as she thought about how true everything was. "We took the next step today" he added as they both fell silent for a moment. "Today Katherine Beckett and I shared our first real kiss".

**So what do you think? Next chapter will feature Ryan, Esposito and Lanie again and I might bring Meredith back soon. I hope you liked it. **

**Please review, it makes my day and also makes me want to update quicker. The more reviews I get the quicker the update and usually the longer the update as well! It just works like that! **


	5. Chapter 5

"Have you talked to your dad?" the writer asked as he watched Kate tie Alexis' hair back in a French braid. "You still haven't talked to him, have you?" Rick moaned as she glared across at him, not wanting to have this discussion in front of Alexis who would desperately want to make everything better. "Kate" he warned.

"Just leave it Rick" she announced before concentrating on Alexis' hair again. "I'll talk to him when I'm ready" she whispered, not admitting that she'd called her father a couple of times that morning before hanging up before he had the chance to answer. She wasn't ready to forgive him for what he'd said and she knew he wasn't ready to take back what he'd said. They were both stubborn people and it was something her mother used to find hysterical! "There you go, you look really pretty sweetheart" Kate smiled, pressing a kiss to Alexis' cheek before she relaxed back and sighed.

"I thought we'd find you two in here" a familiar voice declared as Kate looked up to see Lanie, Javier and Kevin entering the room. "How are you feeling little one?" Lanie asked as Alexis moaned, both Kate and Rick knowing that the pain of her broken arm and leg were starting to finally hit her. "What would you say Lex if I told you that Javi brought cake?" she asked.

"You brought cake?" Rick asked as Javier glared at him.

"For Alexis" the other man stated as Kate smiled.

"But I'm hurt too Javier" the writer moaned as Kate rolled her eyes. "See Javier, I have a thing on my ankle" he stated, pointing at his foot before Kate laughed at the pout that started to cover his face. "Kate" Rick moaned as the brunette just smiled at him.

"Rick when I go to the loft for new clothes, I'll buy you a cake on the way back" Kate sighed, her comment silencing him before everyone else laughed gently.

"So how does some cake sound Lexi?" Javier asked as the redhead nodded slowly.

"Yes please Javi, cake sound really nice" the redhead declared before yawning and relaxing back against Kate. Watching as Esposito brought out the slice of cake, Kate sighed as Alexis smiled at the man before quickly thanking him. "Sleepy" she whispered.

"You don't need to eat it now sweetheart, you can have it after you've had a nap" Kate soothed as Alexis nodded and shut her eyes, everyone watching as the six year old fell asleep against Kate's chest before any of them could think about it.

"What does it feel like being a mommy then Kate?" Lanie teased as the brunette sighed before smiling at them.

"It's the best feeling in the world, even though I miss my proper bed. Hospital beds are painful" she admitted as Rick nodded, staring across at the empty cot that Kate occasionally slept in when Alexis allowed her to make away and take the other bed. "I'm not going home until my family is with me though, the loft is too big to be alone in" she added as Lanie smiled in amazement while Kevin and Javier nodded slowly, Kevin still in shock at how different Kate was. He was used to the Katherine Beckett who shot down all the targets and was faster than everyone he knew. He was used to the woman who could beat Tom Demming in everything and could knock Esposito down while sparring. However, he wasn't used to the mother in her who was nursing the little girl who could be seen as her step daughter or the woman who went soft whenever she looked across at her boyfriend. It was like she was two completely different people depending on the situation she was in. Hearing footsteps, everyone turned to see a small girl entering the room followed by a woman who was clearly her mother.

"Hello Paige, what are you doing here?" Rick asked as the little girl stared up at the bed before looking down at the present she was holding.

"We heard about the accident and Paige was desperate to make sure that Alexis was okay, she wanted to bring her a present today as well" the dark haired woman explained as Rick nodded while Kate stared at Paige for a moment before looking at the small girl who was sleeping in her arms. She didn't want to wake her because she needed her sleep but she also knew that Alexis adored her new friend and would want to talk to her.

"Lex honey" Kate whispered as the small girl groaned. "Sweetheart you need to wake up for a minute" she declared, attempting to be gentle while waking the six year old up.

"Mommy I want to sleep" she yawned as Paige's mother laughed gently at Alexis' comment.

"I have that problem every morning with this one" the woman explained as Kate nodded slowly, already glad that Alexis was usually an early riser and didn't have any problems being out of bed on most days.

"You've got a visitor sweetheart and she's come a long way to see you" Kate admitted as the redhead slowly opened her eyes and stared across at her friend, her smile growing at the sight of Paige standing beside the bed.

"Paige" Alexis practically screamed as the other girl nodded, all the adults smiling at the redhead's reaction.

"Hi Lexi" she laughed before walking over and placing the present on the bed. "I brought you a present and mommy says you'll get better soon! Your casts look really cool" Paige blurted out as she looked across at the casts that had been covered in images of castles, dragons and other things that Kate and Rick had decided to draw one day when they were bored.

"Mommy and daddy drew the pictures for me so it would look cool" Alexis admitted as Paige stared up at Kate in amazement. "Mommy this is Paige my new best friend, she's really fun and I've been to her house too" the redhead explained as Kate nodded. "This is my mommy" she admitted as she looked from Paige to Paige's mother before cuddling into Kate again. "She's not my real mommy because I didn't come from her tummy but she's still my mommy" the redhead quickly explained as Kate smiled weakly at them.

"Hi I'm Kate" the brunette decided to add quickly as Paige's mother nodded and smiled at her.

"Mommy, can I open my present now?" Alexis asked as Kate nodded and moved the box so the six year old could unwrap it with her decent hand. Removing the paper, Alexis smiled as she watched Kate lift the picture frame out that held an image of the redhead beaming beside Paige while they both were dressed up in princess outfits. "Look mommy" Alexis smiled.

"I can see sweetheart" Kate laughed, looking up to see Lanie beaming at her while Javier and Kevin whispered between them. "Why don't we show daddy your new picture?" Kate asked as the redhead nodded and watched as Kate passed the frame to the writer who beamed at the image before placing it on the table beside the bed.

"Thank you" Alexis beamed at her friend who had retreated back to her mother.

"We hope you get well soon Alexis" the woman stated as Paige nodded quickly, making Alexis laugh gently before she waved at her friend who was reluctantly being led out of the room by her mother.

"Mommy you've met Paige now" Alexis commented as Kate nodded. "Can I go back to sleep now?" she asked as everyone laughed gently.

"You can do whatever you want sweetheart, I love you beautiful girl" Kate whispered into Alexis' hair, her arm tightening around the small girl who quickly shut her eyes in an attempt to fall asleep while everyone just watched in amazement.

XOXXOXOXOXOXOXO

"Baby, my beautiful baby girl" a voice slurred as Rick turned in his chair to see Meredith walking towards them; obviously after drinking by the way she was attempting to balance on the designer heels that decorated her feet. "How's my baby?" she asked, laughing gently before she rested her hand on the bed; the sound of her loud voice waking Kate who quickly glared down at her. "My beautiful baby girl" Meredith laughed, approaching the redhead as Kate tightened her arm around the child who was still asleep.

"What are you doing here Meredith?" Rick moaned, watching as anger began to cover Kate's face as she watched Meredith move closer to the six year old. "Meredith, you've been drinking, you shouldn't be here" the writer declared, wishing that he could walk over to her and take her out of the room so she could get in a cab and sober up. Slipping over her shoes, Meredith slowly fell forward and found her hands hitting Alexis' leg; a scream leaving the small girls lips as she woke up and burst into tears as frustration and concern covered Kate's face before she slipped out of the bed and approached the other woman.

"Get out now" Kate declared furiously as Meredith shook her head. "You've hurt your daughter, you've made her cry and she doesn't need you around especially when you're drunk" the brunette stated as shock covered Meredith's face. What was this woman talking about? Alexis was her daughter! She'd given birth to her and cared for her long before Kate had walked into the picture! Looking across at the younger redhead, Kate sighed as she reached across and gently ran her fingers to Alexis' cheeks to wipe away her tears. "It's okay baby, it's going to be okay" Kate whispered before gently pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"Get away from my daughter" Meredith screamed, shocking Kate slightly as the tears continued to roll down Alexis' cheek. "You're nothing to her Kate, she's my baby! She's not yours so stop pretending that you're her mother" the redhead hollered as Kate glared across at her.

"You just don't like the idea that someone else has taken one of your roles Meredith" Kate hissed, decided not to refrain herself. She needed to get everything out because she was furious, she was furious at Meredith and her father and the man who'd hit Rick and Alexis and the people who'd murdered her mother and gotten away with it. "You hate the idea that someone's a better mother than you'll ever be…" Kate began before falling silent when the redhead's hand slapped against her cheek.

"Meredith" Rick screamed as he watched in amazement as Kate grabbed Meredith's hand and pulled them around her back before pressing her against the wall. "Kate" Rick warned, knowing that the brunette was furious at the redhead for hurting Alexis, for abandoning Alexis and for hitting her. "Kate remember who you are, remember that you're better than her" the writer whispered as he watched Kate hold the sobbing redhead against the wall.

"You leave now, you go to your hotel and you sober up and you get the first plane back to California in the morning" the brunette hissed as she watched the older woman in amazement. "You don't come back here and you call before you decide to visit again Meredith! You're not allowed to just turn up on our doorstep because we're happy now, we have a life together and you can't keep trying to destroy it" Kate stated as Meredith nodded slowly and moved when Kate loosened her grip and watched as the redhead moved away from her quickly before grabbing her coat and staring at her daughter who was still sobbing on the bed. "Leave" Kate warned.

"I'm sorry Alexis, I'm so sorry" Meredith whispered while attempting to walk out of the room as silence practically filled the room except for the sound of Alexis sobbing.

"Come here baby" Kate whispered as she moved onto the bed and quickly wrapped her arms around the young girl who was still crying. "Does your leg hurt sweetheart?" the brunette asked quickly as Alexis nodded and moaned. "Why don't I go and get the nurse and see if there's anything that she can give you?" she asked quickly as Alexis shook her head and buried her head into Kate's chest as Rick just watched her in amazement.

"You're amazing Kate, you're honestly a wonderful person" Rick whispered as Kate shrugged and held the redhead close to her, rocking her gently as she began to hum again, not knowing what to do.

XOXOOXXOXOXOXO

Staring at the phone, Jim Beckett sighed as he realised that Kate wasn't going to call today. He'd hurt her and he deserved the loneliness that losing her brought him. He'd lost his wife and now he was losing his daughter to someone else. Kate was moving on with another family who loved her and made her smile. Entering the kitchen, Jim sighed as he reached into the top cupboard where Kate never went and pulled out the bottle of whiskey; knowing that he was a wake man but not caring anymore.

**What do you think? **


	6. Chapter 6

"Welcome home" Kate smiled as she wheeled Alexis into the apartment while Rick followed on the crutches the hospital had given him.

"Finally" Alexis sighed, her reaction making both adults laugh before Martha walked towards them and smiled. "Grams I'm home" the redhead declared as Martha nodded, unable to remove the smile from her face as she stared at her granddaughter, happy that her family had now been released from the hospital and were allowed home.

"Has my dad called?" Kate whispered, watching as Martha shook her head and watched the smile disappear from Kate's face. "Maybe I should go and see him?" she suggested, knowing that she needed to close the rift that was growing between her and her father.

"You're leaving Katie?" Alexis asked as Kate looked down and stared at her, not knowing what to say to the little girl who'd only just returned home and was still extremely clingy.

"Of course she isn't sweetheart, she's staying right here" the redhead laughed gently as Kate stared at her in confusion. "I'll go and see him and drag him over for dinner tonight" she explained as Kate nodded, watching as Rick practically hopped over to the couch and sat down. Digging into her bag, Kate pulled out the keys to her father's apartment and quickly passed them to the older woman.

"Thank you" Kate whispered.

"It's fine darling, just look after these two while I'm gone" she smiled, pressing a kiss to Kate's cheek before she slid out of the apartment silently.

XOXOXOXOOXOXOOX

Unlocking the door to the Beckett apartment, Martha sighed as she found herself staring into the darkness. Reaching out, the redhead smiled as she found the light switch and quickly filled the room with light; shock covering her face when she found herself staring at the empty bottles of alcohol that were decorating the floor .

"James Beckett" Martha hollered as she entered the living room to find the man lying on the floor, surrounded by images of his wife and daughter over the years. "What have you done you stupid man?" the redhead asked as she knelt down beside him and collected the pictures up, her mind thinking of only one thing. Sobering Jim Beckett up before she dragged him to the loft for dinner! Entering the kitchen, Martha smiled as she filled a glass with water before returning to the living room and staring down at the carpet; checking that she'd removed all the images before she tipped the water onto the man who quickly sat up in shock.

"What was that for?" Jim practically screamed as he looked at the frustrated redhead.

"What are you playing at? Drinking again" Martha shrieked as he groaned and stared at the bottles around him. "You're lucky its me and not Kate because she very nearly came instead and I'm telling you Jim if she saw this you would be saying goodbye to your little girl for a long time" she warned as he nodded slowly, knowing that he was in the wrong. "Go and have a shower, you need to attempt to sober up before dinner".

"Dinner?" Jim asked.

"Kate's been calling all day! We're having a family dinner tonight because Rick and Alexis have been discharged and she's desperate for you to be there! She's been calling you all week actually, she's staring to really worry about you" the redhead explained as he looked down, ashamed that he'd made his daughter worry about something he'd said.

"Please don't tell her" he whispered, already in agony at the idea of what his daughter would think if she found out what he'd done as a result of their fight. He couldn't blame her, he was the one who had been in the wrong but he knew Kate would forget that and put all the blame on herself. "This would kill her" he admitted as Martha nodded, remembering the last time Jim had been drinking and Kate had ended up in hospital as a result.

"You need help Jim, you can't keep doing this every time something goes wrong" Martha muttered as the man nodded, knowing that the actress was right. "I know a good AA session, I've been a couple of times when I've felt myself slipping over the years" the redhead admitted as Jim stared at her in shock. "I know exactly how you're feeling Jim because I've felt it too! I know how it feels to only think that alcohol is the only option to make you feel better but it's not" she admitted as he watched her.

"Why did you drink?" he asked.

"Richard doesn't know but I was still with his father for some of my pregnancy until I discovered he was married to someone and had been for almost ten years" she admitted as shock covered his face. "I didn't drink while pregnant but once Richard was born and I found myself holding this baby by myself, I used drink to calm myself and it got worse. I love my son, I love him more than anything in the world but I was terrified that I'd failed him already by not providing him with the proper family unit" she explained as Jim nodded.

"So Rick doesn't know?" Jim asked as she shook her head, collecting some of the empty bottles that were covering the floor in an attempt to sort the situation out again.

"It's better he has the ability to think of his father as anything he wants rather than a cheating bastard" she shrugged before staring at the man. "Now shower! We have a dinner to get to and you have a daughter who is desperate to see you again" she declared as Jim nodded slowly and sighed, climbing off the floor quickly. "You might think that Kate's happy without you but she's been devastated and she needs you in her life so get whatever you were thinking out of your head".

"I know" he whispered, still ashamed that he had let it get that far.

XOXOXOXOXOXOO

"I love watching you cook" Rick admitted as he sat in the kitchen and watched as the brunette continued to work on the pasta dish she was preparing for that evening. "I love the concentration that covers your face when you're working on something that you want to do perfectly" he explained as she laughed and quickly rolled her eyes before placing the cheese and the grater in front of him. "I thought I was supposed to be resting" he commented.

"I'm asking you to grate some cheese Rick, I'm not asking you to make the whole meal" she laughed as he nodded slowly and quickly began to do what she'd asked, her smile growing as she watched him in amazement. "I love you" she blurted out before he stopped and stared at her in amazement before she walked over and slid her hand to his cheek before leaning down gently to press a kiss to his lips. "I love you so much" she muttered, surprising him when tears began to run down her cheeks.

"Hey what's going on?" he asked as she shook her head and laughed gently. "Come on Officer, tell me what's wrong" he declared as she sat down in the seat beside him and quickly allowed him to take hold of her hand.

"I could have lost you both" she whispered as he smiled at her gently. "I could have lost you Rick and it's really only just hit me that you could have died" she admitted as he quickly squeezed her hand and smiled at her; knowing that she was physically and mentally exhausted. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost either of you" she muttered as he sighed; both of them falling silent as they heard the door open and Martha's laughter. "Dad" she whispered, climbing out of her seat before she ran over and quickly wrapped her arms around Jim who laughed at the fact that his daughter was in his arms again. "I'm so sorry daddy, I'm so sorry" she sobbed.

"You didn't do anything wrong Katie, I was the one who made the comment and I'm the one who's in the wrong so I'm so sorry my beautiful little girl" he whispered into her air, falling silent when he felt her body tense.

"What's that smell?" she asked, slipping out of his arms as she stared at him to see the guilt that covered his face; her head shaking as she just watched him. "You didn't, daddy please tell me you didn't" Kate sobbed as he bit into his lip. "How could you?" she asked, turning around to see Rick staring at her from the kitchen before she ran off towards the bedroom, feeling physically sick at the idea.

Her father was drinking again!

**I know it's short and I left it in an awkward place but this is where my brain wanted to end it and the next one will be longer. **

**Please review, it means a lot to me and honestly it does make me write faster. I know this chapter is pathetically short but it's still a chapter and I need to know what you think especially with me leaving it in this particular place. **


	7. Chapter 7

Stepping into her son's bedroom, Martha sighed as the sound of the shower being turned on in the en-suite filled the room as she gently sat down on the edge of the bed and waited. She knew Kate needed to clear her head and think about what had just happened, think about all the things that were running through her mind. Martha felt sorry for the young woman. She was nineteen, she had her whole life ahead of her and yet here she was, nursing her older boyfriend and the six year old who had told her that she was mommy while also trying to deal with the death of her own mother and also her father's drink problems. Martha didn't envy her in any way. Hearing the shower turn off, Martha stared at the door as it slipped open and Kate walked out in Rick's robe with her hair wrapped in a towel.

"I didn't know you were in here" Kate whispered as Martha nodded slowly, watching as the brunette walked towards the wardrobe and pulled out one of Rick's shirts before moving and pulled out a pair of sweats as well before sighing. "Do you need me urgently or can I get dressed?" she asked as the redhead stared at her for a moment.

"Go and change Kate, well talk afterwards sweetheart" Martha announced as Kate nodded slowly and slipped into the en-suite again to put some clothes on. Waiting for the brunette to appear, the redhead sighed as she watched the teenager walk into the room with her fingers running through her hair. "Come here" Martha whispered, reaching across for the hair brush as Kate slowly moved to sit in front of the redhead who quickly began to brush Kate's hair silently. "He made a mistake" the redhead whispered as she shook her head.

"He promised Martha, he promised that he wasn't going to do it again. He promised after everything that happened that he wouldn't drink again" Kate whispered as she attempt not to cry again, remembering how difficult it had been to cope with his drinking originally. "I can't go through that again, I can't watch him destroy himself" she admitted as tears fell down her cheeks. Continuing to run the brush through Kate's hair, Martha sighed as she just watched the teenager in silence. "I can't deal with that too" she whispered.

"Sweetheart, it's not just as easy as saying that he won't drink again! It takes a lot more than that, it can take people years to completely recover" the redhead admitted as Kate shut her eyes, wishing it could be easy, wishing that everything in her life could be perfect again like it had been before her mom had died.

"I miss her so much Martha, I miss her so much. I want my mom" Kate blurted out as her tears got worse. Putting the hairbrush down on the bedside table, Martha sighed as she wrapped her arms around the brunette and held her close as she continued to cry uncontrollably. "I want her back so much Martha, I just miss her and I miss my daddy. I miss my daddy" Kate sobbed as she allowed the redhead to run her fingers up and down her back as she attempted to soothe her. "My dad always had a weakness for drink, he used to drink too much at parties but mom was always there to keep him in line. She looked after him, she stopped him going too far" she explained as Martha nodded, knowing that Kate had been carried the weight of the world on her shoulders and was finally letting it go.

"It's okay sweetheart" Martha whispered as Kate nodded slowly, hating herself for being so weak. "Your dad loves you more than anything in the world sweetheart, you're his whole world and he's just being protective of you" the redhead admitted as Kate shut her eyes and rested her head on Martha's lap while the woman began to play with her hair. "It's not his fault that he can't cope with some things" the redhead admitted.

"But…" she began.

"Who do you go to when you feel stressed or like everything's going wrong in the world and you need someone to talk too?" Martha asked as Kate smiled.

"I go to Rick" the brunette admitted, not ashamed that Rick was her rock and she was his. "I always go to Rick".

"Who did your dad go to when he felt like that?" the redhead asked as Kate fell silent, realising what the actress was working towards. "And who did your mom go to when she felt like that?" she added as Kate nodded slowly.

"They went to each other" Kate whispered gently. "They always went to each other".

"Your dad doesn't have her anymore Kate and he's desperate to find something that gives him that same comfort that she did" the redhead explained as Kate nodded slowly, knowing that Martha was right about everything. "I'm going to go with him to the classes Kate, I'm going to make sure that he's at every AA session Kate. He's going to get through this Katie, he's going to get through this because he has a whole family behind him" she admitted as she gently pressed a kiss into Kate's hair and sighed.

"I don't think I can face him tonight Martha, I just need a night to think about everything" Kate whispered as the actress nodded gently and slipped off the bed. "Tell him that I'll talk to him tomorrow, that we'll go for coffee or something and discuss everything" the brunette sighed as Martha stared at her. "Tell him that I love him as well" Kate added.

"Of course" the redhead stated before leaning down and gently pressing a kiss to Kate's forehead. "You Katherine Beckett are one of the most wonderful women on this planet, remember that" Martha whispered before she walked towards the door and turned the light off before leaving the room. Approaching the living room, Martha sighed as she stared at the two men who were sat on the couch with a takeout pizza. "What happened to the pasta?" Martha asked.

"Burnt it" Rick admitted before turning to look at her, seeing that she was alone. "Kate?" he asked.

"She's getting some sleep, it's going to be a long couple of months for her" the redhead explained as Rick nodded, noticing that sadness quickly covered Jim's face. "She told me to tell you that she'll talk to you tomorrow and that she loves you" Martha quickly added as the older man nodded.

"Thank you" he whispered. "I'm sorry that I ruined your welcome home dinner, you're supposed to be celebrating" Jim admitted, thinking about the pasta that had been burnt and the little girl who was asleep in a small bed that Kevin and Javier had prepared in Rick's office so she wouldn't have to walk up any stairs.

"Mommy" all three adults quickly heard Alexis shout from the other room as sobs echoed around the loft. "Mommy, mommy" the younger redhead began to cry, everyone watching as Kate quickly appeared and entered the office; worry covering her face as she stared at the sobbing redhead. "Mommy" Alexis whispered.

"Hey what's the matter sweetheart?" Kate asked quickly as she sat down on the edge of the bed and stared at Alexis who reached out for her hand. "What's wrong sweetheart? I can't make it better if you don't tell me" she whispered as Alexis just stared at her for a moment, immediately calming. "Do you want to sleep in our room tonight?" Kate whispered as the redhead nodded; the brunette sighing as she moved the wheelchair closer to the bed and slowly lifted the redhead into the chair. "Only tonight though Lex" Kate whispered, watching as the redhead remained silent before she began to push the chair out of the room.

"What's going on?" Rick asked the moment Kate reappeared. "Is everything alright?" he panicked, staring at his daughter before looking up at his girlfriend. "Kate?"

"Everything's fine, enjoy your pizza" she whispered before disappearing into their bedroom. Helping Alexis onto the bed, Kate sighed as the redhead lay down on the bed before shutting her eyes and yawning. "Do you want anything to eat or drink sweetheart?" Kate asked as Alexis shook her head.

"Can you stay mommy?" Alexis asked.

"Of course I can sweetheart, of course I can" she admitted before sliding into the bed on the other side and finding Alexis' hand quickly. "You're such a brave little girl Alexis, I don't think I could do all the things you've done recently" Kate explained as Alexis smiled gently at the compliment. "Get some sleep" Kate whispered a few moments later before staring down to see that Alexis was fast asleep. "Sweet dreams".

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Slipping into Rick's office later that night, the brunette sighed as she found herself watching the man who was carefully sat at his desk working. Approaching him quickly, she smiled as she gently moved behind him and began to massage his shoulders, amazed that he was still awake.

"Inspiration?" she asked as he nodded and smiled when she gently pressed a kiss into his hair. "You need to rest, you're still injured" she mumbled as Rick groaned, knowing that she was right. "You can sleep in with Alexis, I'll sleep in here" she explained, staring across at the bed that had originally been prepared for the sleeping redhead.

"No" he moaned, shocking her slightly as he looked up to see the exhaustion that was covering her face. "I want to cuddle with you Kate" he admitted, smiling when she laughed gently and leaned down to kiss him before she laughed against his lips again. "I've missed all the cuddling we used to do Kate" he sighed, her head shaking as she grinned at him.

"Think you can make it up the stairs if I help you?" she asked as he laughed gently and slowly nodded, knowing it would take a while but would ultimately be worth it to cuddle her again. Helping him out of the chair, Kate sighed as he took hold of his crutches and moved out of the room. Assisting him up the stairs, the brunette slowly wrapped an arm around his side as he began to hop up each step. "I've missed cuddling with you as well" she admitted.

"I think all we did in the Hamptons that first time was cuddle" he laughed as she nodded. "Naked for the first time together, it was amazing" he admitted as she rolled her eyes and smiled when they finally reached the bedroom door and entered the spare room together. Sitting own on the bed, Rick groaned as he watched Kate shut the door before turning and stepping out of her sweats, his eyebrows rising as she quickly began to unbutton her shirt; a smirk covering his face when it dropped to the floor a few seconds later. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"Creating new naked memories like when we were in the Hamptons" she admitted as he removed his t-shirt and sighed, knowing it would be difficult to remove the boxers he was wearing alone. Sliding into the bed, Kate sighed as he tightened his arms he r and relaxed. "I've missed you Rick, I've missed being close to you" she admitted as he nodded in agreement, knowing that the last few months had been difficult. "This year has been an amazing year for me at times Rick" Kate sighed as he stared at her in amazement. "I know I lost my mom but I also gained a family, in a way I gained a daughter and you, I found my one and done" she admitted, leaning across to kiss him gently before she relaxed and yawned.

"One and done?" he asked.

"You know the one person who you want to spend your life with. No divorce, just marrying one person for the rest of your life" she explained as he stared at her in shock. "Did I just say that out loud?" she asked as he nodded.

"So I guess that's the next step" he admitted as she relaxed in his arms. "You've done your training now, you've moved in with us, I guess marriage is the next logical step for us" he explained as she laughed gently. "This isn't me asking Kate, we're not ready for that step yet but we will be one day, we'll be ready for that".

"So you want to make me Mrs Castle one day Rick?" she asked as he gently pressed a kiss into her cherry scented hair and nodded; knowing that she was everything he wanted.

"Mommy" both adults hard Alexis scream downstairs, breaking the moment they were sharing of just being alone. Sighing, Kate quickly slid out of bed before pulling her clothes on and relaxing; unable to look at Rick because she knew she'd see amazement, happiness and disappointment covering his face. "Mommy" Alexis continued to holler as the brunette walked towards the bed and quickly pressed a kiss to Rick's forehead.

"Sleep" she muttered before walking out of the room and running down the stairs, not knowing what was wrong before she entered the main bedroom to see the redhead sobbing in the middle of the bed. "What's wrong sweetheart?" Kate asked as she moved to sit beside the redhead before she gently pressed a kiss to her cheek. "It's okay, I'm not going anywhere" she muttered as her arms wrapped around the six year old before she sighed.

"I had a nightmare mommy" Alexis admitted as Kate nodded, guessing that was the main problem. "I was in the car again" she explained. "I was trapped and I couldn't find daddy, he wasn't there mommy" she sobbed as the brunette tightened her arms around her.

"Sweetheart your daddy is asleep upstairs" Kate promised as she pressed a kiss into Alexis' red hair. "I love you baby now why don't we try and get some sleep?" she asked, lying down on the bed before she relaxed back with the six year old in her arms. "I was in car accident once" the brunette admitted as Alexis nodded, still remaining silent. "I was ten and my mom and dad were fighting in the front of the car and the next thing we knew was that there was a cab smashing into the side of the car" she remembered.

"What happened?" Alexis asked.

"My mom and dad were in shock, my arm was broken and all I know was when I went to sleep it terrified me" she admitted as Alexis cuddled closer to her. "But life went on Lex and the nightmares went away" she smiled before she pressed a kiss into Alexis' hair again. "All I needed was my mommy Lex, she kissed and cuddled me and made all the bad dreams go away".

"Will you make them go away?" the redhead asked as Kate tightened her arms around her and nodded. "I love you" Alexis yawned.

"I love you too baby, I love you too" Kate muttered as she shut her eyes and fell asleep to the comfort of Alexis curled up in a strange way beside her.

**Just a small chapter, the next chapter will deal with Jim Beckett but I don't know when that will be up because the next few weeks are extremely busy for me! **

**Always was amazing! Just saying it now! **

**Please review, the more reviews I get the faster I might update!**

**THANK YOU, you've all been amazing so far! **


	8. Chapter 8

"You look exhausted darling" Martha commented as she entered the kitchen to find Kate leaning back against the kitchen side while she held a mug of coffee in her hands. She knew that the brunette had hardly slept last night because of the running up and down the stairs that had filled the apartment and the screams from Alexis that the older woman had heard all night. "Come on, sit down" she whispered as Kate shook her head, knowing that she needed to get going. She had to wake Rick and Alexis up and make them breakfast and get them ready before she ran out to meet her father for a coffee and then came back to make lunch and her brain literally felt like it was about to explode!

"I need to wake…" she began as Martha shook her head and rested her hand on the younger woman's shoulder, stopping her from moving out of the kitchen. "I don't know whether I can do this Martha, I don't know whether I can be what they need me to be" she admitted as Martha smiled and wrapped her arms around the brunette who quickly buried her head into her shoulder.

"Kate, everyone makes mistakes but you learn from them. Rick and Alexis need you as you, they don't a nurse, they need their Katie so you're doing perfectly darling because you're being everything that they need from you" Martha smiled as she gently pressed a kiss into Kate's hair. "Let me make you some breakfast, you need to eat you skinny woman because we can't have you getting sick as well" she laughed as Kate rolled her eyes and sat down and relaxed as Martha began to collect food.

"I'm seeing my dad today" Kate admitted as Martha nodded gently. "I don't know whether I'll be happy to see him again, angry or I'll just burst into tears the moment we sit down to talk" she laughed as Martha smiled at her in amazement, knowing that the young woman was scared about seeing her dad again but was also excited about sorting out the issues that they'd been dealing with.

"Just take it easy on him Kate, he's still hurting so let him speak and tell you everything he needs too before you start making judgements" the redhead advised as Kate smiled and nodded, knowing that Martha was right. "Your dad is trying to do the right thing Kate, he's just got lost on the way but he'll get back on track before you realise" Martha reassured as Kate smiled and nodded, knowing that the older woman was completely right.

"Thank you" the brunette whispered as Martha shrugged and continued to make breakfast. "I should wake Rick up" she mumbled in thought, falling silent when the older woman shook her head and smiled at her.

"Let them sleep, they need the rest and you need some time to think about yourself" the redhead ordered as Kate nodded again, knowing better than to argue with the actress. "Have you actually had any time to yourself since you came home from training Kate?" Martha asked as she plated the food she'd prepared before passing it to the younger woman and sitting down beside her.

"I haven't had the time with the accident" she admitted as Martha sighed and gently pressed a kiss to the younger woman's forehead before sitting silently down beside her. "I want to be there for them Martha, I want to be the mother that Alexis deserves and the woman Rick needs but I'm terrified that I'm going to do it all wrong" Kate explained as the redhead laughed and watched her slowly eat the meal she'd prepared.

"You just need to realise that you're already that Kate" Martha sighed. "You're already everything they could ever want, need or deserve darling".

XOXOXOXOXXOXO

Entering the small coffee shop in silence, Kate sighed as she found her father already sat at a table fiddling with the watch around his wrist before he looked up and smiled at her weakly. She was terrified. She was terrified that she was going to hear things she didn't want to confront yet and she was terrified of destroying the remaining relationship she had with her father.

"You look good" Jim whispered as Kate sat down and shrugged, knowing she looked the complete opposite. She was exhausted, there were bags under her eyes and it was obvious that she hadn't been eating too well along with the training as her clothes were looser and her body skinner. "How are Rick and Alexis?" he asked as she sighed.

"Alexis is starting to get bored of being in the house and Rick's just attempting to work while resting so he doesn't get behind on deadlines, we don't want Gina coming around at the moment" Kate admitted as Jim nodded and found her hand quickly. "I'm exhausted" She laughed gently as her father nodded slowly, noticing everything that indicated that his daughter wasn't sleeping well. "I'd literally gotten into bed last night and in the end I ended up with Alexis because she kept screaming every few minutes from nightmares".

"The poor thing" Jim commented as she nodded before they both fell silent, running out of things to talk about except for the one thing they needed to. "Kate…" he began.

"Why?" she blurted out. "Why did you do it again dad?" she asked.

"I was angry Kate and I was stupid. I was terrified of losing the only family I had left and I didn't know what else to do" he explained as she stared at him. "I was an idiot I admit that and I do want you to be happy and if that's with Rick then brilliant but I don't want you to focus completely on this. Think about work as well" he begged as she shut her eyes and sighed. "I know I hurt you with what I said and with what I did but Kate, I love you so much" he whispered as she bit into her lip and stared at him.

"Dad you need to stop drinking" Kate stated as he nodded. "I can't have you around when you're like that, especially around my daugh…"she began as shock covered his face at what she was going to say.

"Daughter?" he asked as she nodded slowly. "You're really happy with them aren't you Katie?" he whispered as she smiled and relaxed back, knowing that she needed to go and get a coffee if she was going to make it through the conversation. "They adore you sweetheart, you're great for them and they love you" he admitted as she laughed gently and nodded, knowing deep inside that she was loved by the two Castle's. "I'm going to stop Katie I promise, I'm not going to put us through this again" he declared as she smiled weakly at him.

"I want you to be a part of our life daddy, Alexis adores you and she wants to get to know you a lot better than she does and she's desperate to spend time with you but I can't let that happen when I don't know whether you're sober or not" she explained as he nodded, knowing that she was right. "I want us to be a family, mom would want us to be a family and she would hate to see you like this".

"She'd be furious, she'd probably have thrown me out of the house if she found me doing something like this" he declared as Kate laughed, imagining her mother doing exactly that. "I'm so sorry Katie for putting you through this, you need help at the moment and I'm just making things difficult" he stated as she nodded and looked across at the clock, nervously biting into her lip as he noticed the act. "Do you need to be somewhere?" he asked.

"I left before Alexis and Rick were awake today and I just feel a bit nervous about not being there" she admitted as he laughed gently and stood up. "What are you doing dad? Are you leaving?" she asked as he nodded.

"Let's go and get some take out and get you home to your little girl" he declared as she smiled and stood up, wrapping her arms around him as he held her close. "Do you remember the time when I went away and you got chickenpox?" he asked as they slowly left the coffee shop together as she nodded slowly. "When your mom called me because I was away working and said you were sick I was devastated that I wasn't there with you".

"But you came home dad?" she whispered as he nodded.

"I went to bed that night in my hotel room and felt terrible because I wasn't with my little girl" he explained as she nodded, knowing that she hadn't heard this story before. "So I came home that night with a…" he began as she laughed.

"With a bouquet of red roses for mom, a bouquet of mixed roses for me as I'd always wanted someone to buy me flowers and the teddy I wanted from the shop that you'd refused to buy because I already have enough" she explained as he nodded and stared at her in amazement. "I love that bear" she admitted as he laughed. "Where is it?" she asked quickly, confusing him.

"Why?" he asked as she smiled.

"I have a daughter now daddy, I have to start passing down those family treasures" she laughed as he nodded and led her towards his car, knowing that she had most likely walked to meet him.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

"I'm home and I brought lunch" Kate called out as she entered the loft with her father and looked around to see Rick sat on the couch with a book in his hands, while the sound of Alexis crying and screaming filled the whole apartment. "What the hell is going on?" Kate asked as she pot the Chinese down and walked towards the writer who groaned and removed the ear plugs he was wearing. "Ear plugs?" she asked.

"Mother is trying to wash Alexis' hair and it's not going well" he commented as Kate sighed and pressed a kiss into his hair. Turning his head, Rick smiled at the older man who was stood by the door in amazement. "Jim hi, come and sit down" the writer declared as the man walked towards him and sat down as Kate continued to stare across at their bedroom.

"I'm just going to…" she began before she walked off towards the bedroom as Rick continued to smile knowingly. Entering the bedroom, Kate sighed as she approached the en-suite and knocked on the door before gently opening it to see Alexis sat in a chair beside the bed while Martha attempted to wash her hair with obviously more water covering her than the six year old. "Hey little one, you causing trouble?" Kate asked as Alexis sat up.

"Mommy" Alexis squealed as Martha breathed a sigh of relief.

"Here, I can do it" Kate smiled as she approached the older redhead. "Go and have some Chinese before the men eat it all" she joked as Martha nodded and gently pressed a kiss to Kate's cheek before leaving the room. "Are you making a nightmare of your grams life?" she asked as Kate stared at the redhead who smiled at her before holding her arms out.

"I missed you mommy" Alexis admitted as Kate wrapped her arms around the six year old for a moment. "Mommy will you wash my hair, I didn't want grams to do it" the redhead admitted as Kate nodded and knelt down beside her.

"I have something special for you" Kate whispered as she began to rub shampoo into Alexis' damp hair. "It's something that was mine when I was ill once and my daddy bought it for me" the brunette explained as Alexis smiled silently at her before relaxing back as Kate began to wash her hair carefully. "We're going to have to get you into new pyjamas, you're almost as drenched as your gram" she commented as Alexis laughed gently before sitting up and allowing Kate to wrap her hair in a towel. "Right Alexis, let's get you in your pyjamas" she laughed as she helped the redhead into her wheelchair and wheeled her back in the bedroom; glad to see a pair of Alexis pyjamas folded at the end. Helping Alexis change, Kate smiled as she helped the redhead back into her chair before wheeling her out of the room to see everyone laughing on the couch.

"We're back" Alexis called out as Rick smiled across at them. "Daddy I have nice clean hair now, Katie cleaned it for me" she giggled as the writer nodded in amazement, not surprised however that Kate had managed where his mother had failed. "Chinese, can I have some?" the redhead squealed as she noticed the food, a laugh leaving everyone's lips as Kate helped her onto the couch and began to plate up some food for the redhead.

"Here you go sweetheart" Kate smiled as she passed the food to the redhead before sitting down and cuddling up against Rick who wrapped an arm around her before pressing a kiss to her hair. "Oh wait" she stated, climbing off the couch and disappearing before returning later with a small bear that still looked relatively new although well loved. "Alexis this is my bear" she explained as she gave the toy to the redhead. "He made me better when I was sick so he'll make you better" she admitted before looking around at her father who was beaming at her. "My daddy gave him to me" she added.

"And my mommy is giving it to me" she cheered as Kate nodded and pressed a kiss to her forehead before moving back to the couch where Rick was staring at her.

"What?" she asked gently.

"You're perfect Kate, absolutely perfect" he stated before continuing his meal with a smile covering his face while Kate rolled her eyes and served her own food.

XOXXOOXOXXOXO

Entering the bedroom, Kate sighed as she helped the redhead onto the bed and wrapped the blankets around her before turning to see Rick entering the room on his crutches. Martha had left earlier for a date and her father had followed quickly, admitting that he had some work to do so they were alone and had decided to have a movie night.

"Are you comfy?" Kate asked as Alexis nodded and smiled at her. Turning the movie on, Kate sighed as she stared at the baby that appeared on the screen.

"Mommy, my friend's mom is having a baby" Alexis admitted as Kate sat down beside her and stared at her in confusion; wondering why the redhead had brought it up. "Can you have a baby one day? I want a baby brother or sister" the redhead asked as Rick smiled and stared at the brunette who was biting into her lip in confusion. "How do you get a baby mom? Do you buy them from someone?" she asked quickly as the writer laughed.

"I wish it was that easy sweetheart, I really do but there's a lot more work than that" Kate admitted as Alexis stared at her in confusion. "But no you don't buy a baby sweetheart, they grow" the brunette admitted as the redhead stared at her, wanting to understand what the older woman was talking about.

"What like fruit?" Alexis asked as Kate laughed and quickly wrapped her arms around the small girl who was lying beside her while the writer laughed beside them. "How does a baby grow? Where do they grow?" she smiled as Kate glared across at the writer who was beaming at her in amazement as she just attempted to think of a way to answer the small girl as Rick sighed; knowing that he needed to have some impact on the discussion.

"Pumpkin when Kate decides to have a baby one day, it'll grow in her" Rick admitted as shock covered Alexis' face at the concept.

"Really mommy?" Alexis asked as Kate nodded and quickly took hold of Alexis' hand and leading it to rest on her stomach.

"When we want too, your daddy and I will make a baby and it'll grow in my tummy until it's ready to come out and join us" the brunette admitted as Alexis just stared at her in amazement before looking at Kate's stomach in shock. "But we're not going to have a baby for a while sweetheart" Kate whispered as she gently pressed a kiss into Alexis' red hair before she smiled.

"Why not mommy?" Alexis asked quickly.

"Because we already have one baby and that's all we want at the moment" Kate laughed as she gently pressed a kiss into Alexis' hair as the little girl giggled. "We want to spoil you for a while sweetheart, then we'll think about having a baby Alexis" the brunette explained as she gently relaxed and stared at the movie they'd decided to watch a few moments ago. "I love you my beautiful little girl" the brunette whispered into Alexis' hair as the writer watched proudly, knowing that he would never find anyone like Kate.

"You're a really good mommy Katie" Alexis admitted as she cuddled up beside Kate and relaxed. "A baby would be lucky to have you as a mommy" the redhead mumbled as she began to fall asleep while Kate looked across at the writer to see him smiling at her.

"I love you" Rick mouthed at her as she smiled.

"I love you too" she mouthed back before shutting her eyes, knowing that she needed the sleep.

**I have become a terrible updater but my exams are looming so they gain priority. Thank you for your reviews and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. The return of Lanie and the guys will happen in the next chapter I promise. **

**Please review, I love hearing from everyone and it does get me through the pressures of exams! **


	9. Chapter 9

"You're the sexiest woman on the planet Kate" Rick smiled as the brunette walked out of the en-suite that morning with a small towel wrapped around her body; revealing her long legs to perfection as he continued to smile at her. "I love your legs" he commented, sitting up as she walked over to go through one of the drawers beside the bed. Catching her hand, Rick smiled as he slowly led her onto the bed as she smiled and knelt down beside him before kissing him gently. "And your sexy smile and your gorgeous breasts".

"I hardly have breasts Rick, compared to Meredith or most of the woman you're around" she admitted as he groaned at the mention of his ex-wife. "I don't know how you can love mine when you've been around people who have actual breasts".

"Your breasts are perfect" he declared as his hands moved to take the towel off her while she ran her fingers through his hair. "God you're perfect" he explained as he leant forward and gently kissed her as she smiled against his lips; enjoying being intimate with him again. "I've missed you Katie" he declared as he gently ran his fingers down her back as she relaxed and began to kiss his neck.

"We can't" she mumbled.

"Why not?" Rick asked. "We could find a way around the broken ankle Kate, it's been almost a month now and I miss you" he stated as she groaned.

"A month yesterday actually" she admitted as they both laughed before locking eyes; her lips moving to his as he moaned. "I need to get dressed" she mumbled as he shook his head and tightened his arms around her as she laughed. Hearing a knock at the front door, Kate groaned as Rick began to kiss her neck again. "Rick stop, we need to get ready" she muttered as he shook his head, a laugh leaving her lips as she heard Martha answer the door.

"Mother's handling it so let's just have some time alone Kate" he declared as she nodded and moved so she was closer to him. "I love you Kate" he whispered as she nodded and found his lips again; laughing when his hands back to run down her back and cup her ass; neither of them hearing the bedroom door open.

"I think my vision is ruined forever, way too much naked there Kate" a voice squealed as Kate turned to stare at Lanie who was standing in the doorway with her hand covering her eyes.

"Lanie get out" Kate moaned as she held the sheet up around her body and watched as the medical student disappear out of the room and slam the door behind her. "Oh my god, I've never been so humiliated Rick" the brunette moaned as she fell back and pulled the sheet up to cover her face as he laughed at her and covered his face with the sheet to stare at her as she kept her eyes shut. "I should get dressed; god knows what Lanie's saying to everyone out there".

"Can't we just lock ourselves in here? I like alone time with my girlfriend and it's been way too long Kate" Rick admitted as he watched her slip out of bed and grab one of his shirts and boxers before dressing in them and running out of the room to see Martha, Lanie, Kevin and Javier staring at her with smirks covering their faces.

"Stop it" Kate moaned as they all smiled. "Yes, Rick and I were making out now can we get on with our lives?" she asked as she walked towards the kitchen to make coffee.

"Girl you were doing more than making out, if I'd been a second later you two would have been making hot passionate…" Lanie began.

"Mommy" Alexis screamed from the office as Kate looked at her friends.

"Don't say anything when she's in the room" the brunette stated before walking into the office to see the redhead sat up with a large smile covering her face. "Hey beautiful" Kate smiled as she pressed a kiss to Alexis' forehead before lifting her up to help her into her wheelchair. "How are you feeling?" Kate asked.

"Bored, Katie can we go somewhere today?" the redhead asked as Kate stared at her for a moment before kneeling down beside the six year old. "I'm bored of the loft, I want something to do" she moaned as Kate laughed gently and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"Why don't we go to the museum today? Just the two of us" Kate suggested as Alexis quickly nodded enthusiastically. "Your dad needs to work today so I think he'll be okay with us having girl time" she declared as she began to push Alexis out of the room to see everyone, including Rick, sitting on the couches.

"Morning pumpkin" Rick smiled as Alexis beamed at him.

"Hello daddy, mommy is taking me to the museum today" the redhead blurted out as Rick looked up at Kate to see a small smile covering her face.

"If it's okay with you of course" Kate added, knowing she should of asked the writer first before suggesting it to Alexis.

"Of course it is Kate, you both need to get out of the house" Rick smiled as Kate leant down and gently kissed him as Lanie looked across at Javier who smirked at her.

"Good, you can work while we're out" she added as he groaned at the idea. "Richard, you're a writer, you need to write at some point" Kate explained as Martha laughed at Kate's tone and the upset look that was covering her sons face. "So what are you guys doing here?" Kate asked as she looked across at their friends who were sitting on the couch together.

"Aren't we allowed to visit our friends and see how they are?" Kevin asked as Kate's eyebrows rose at his statement. "Esposito and I actually wanted to talk to you Kate" he admitted as the brunette nodded and stared down at the writer.

"Go and talk in my office" Rick stated as the two men followed Kate into Rick's office before shutting the door.

"So what do you want to talk about?" Kate asked as she sat down on the edge of the writer's desk and stared at the two men who were looking at each other. "Come on tell me".

"When are you coming back to the force? I mean, we're beat cops now and you'd be an amazing cop Kate" Kevin blurted out as she sighed and found herself running her fingers through her hair before she looked at an image of her and Rick curled up on the couch with Alexis asleep beside him. "We understand that you've got to look after Alexis and Rick but you've worked hard for this".

"I know but they need me here" the brunette admitted as Esposito nodded, not surprised by Kate's response. He knew how Kate worked- family first, work second. "Maybe when Alexis has recovered a bit more and is able to go back to school I'll think about signing up and becoming a beat cop" she stated as the two men nodded. "Look I've got to get ready, I'm taking Lex to the museum and she's excited" the brunette explained as she walked towards the door.

"Actually, Kate could I talk to you alone for a minute?" Javier asked as Kevin nodded and slowly left the room.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Is something wrong with you?" he whispered as she groaned. "You were so driven about becoming a cop, nothing was getting in your way and now it seems like you're afraid to take that next step" he stated as she sat down on the couch in Rick's office and buried her head in her hands as Esposito sat down beside her.

"I'm just exhausted Javier, I'm not sleeping well so everything seems negative to me" she admitted as he stared at her. "It's hard to sleep when Alexis is in pain and Rick is a fidget and my brain is on overdrive right now" she moaned as she felt his arm wrap around her and bring her in for a hug. "How's work going with you?" she asked.

"Awesome" he stated as she laughed gently by how excited he sounded. "Although I've never run so much in my life before; even at training I didn't do this running" he added as she smiled and relaxed back against the couch while Javier smiled gently at her. "Officer Beckett you need to get dressed, you've got to take your daughter to the museum" he ordered as she laughed gently and stood up, her fingers running through her hair as she smiled.

"Thanks for the talk Javi, I needed someone to talk to who wasn't personally involved" she admitted gently as he nodded and stood up; leading her towards the door as she smiled. "How are you and Lanie doing?" she asked.

"We're good, actually we're doing better than good" he beamed before they walked out of the office to see Lanie and Kevin pulling their jackets on. "We going?" he asked.

"I've got college" Lanie muttered.

"And I have to be at work" Kevin groaned as Javier nodded and smiled at the brunette beside him. "Esposito hurry up" Ryan moaned.

"Don't boss me around Ryan, I could kick your ass in a second" Javier laughed as he walked towards his friend and elbowed him, the writer laughing at the interaction between the two of the other men before they left the apartment.

"Those two have a bromance going on" Rick laughed as Kate nodded in agreement.

"What's a bromance daddy?" Alexis asked as the writer groaned and looked at the brunette who shook her head and turned to look at the redhead who staring at them.

"Come on you, let's get ready for the museum" Kate smiled before kissing her cheek gently and pushing her the office to help her change into something while everyone else continued to laugh over jokes Rick was making.

XOXOOXOXXOXO

"Look mommy, it's a dinosaur" Alexis squealed as she stared at the skeleton in front of her as Kate smiled at the redhead's excitement. When she'd been younger and her mother had taken her to the museum, she'd acted in a similar way to the six year old. She hadn't been like Madison and Hannah when she was younger; she didn't dream of her perfect wedding day all the time and play with dolls and dress up like a princess, she liked to learn. "Mommy?" Alexis whispered, looking up to see Kate's eyes full of tears. "Mommy what's wrong?" the redhead asked, grabbing Kate's attention as the brunette stared down at her in confusion.

"Sorry sweetheart, I was thinking about something" Kate smiled as Alexis continued to watch her. "I was thinking about my mommy" she admitted as the redhead nodded slowly and stared at her.

"Will you tell me mommy?" Alexis asked as Kate nodded and knelt down beside her.

"When I was a little bit older than you Lex, my mommy brought me to the museum for the first time. I was obsessed with dinosaurs and it became a fascination so when I was old enough to understand everything she brought me here. I had the day off school and my mom took the day off work and brought me here as a surprise; I was so excited" Kate explained as the redhead nodded gently, a small smile decorating the redhead's face as she continued to listen to the older woman. "We spent the whole day in the museum but my favourite part was this bit and it took forever for my mom to drag me away; we stayed until the very moment that the museum closed" Kate laughed.

"I don't want to stay till the museum closes mommy, we can always come back another day" Alexis joked as Kate nodded and gently pressed a kiss to her forehead before standing and pushing her to the next exhibition, knowing that the redhead would want to see as much as possible during their visit.

XOOXOXOXOXOXOXO

"Madison? What are you doing here?" Rick asked as the blonde entered his apartment and smiled at him, her eyes looking him up and down as her smile turned into a smirk. Rick was alone in the apartment except for his sleeping daughter who Kate had returned an hour ago before disappearing to go and do urgent shopping apparently. "Does Kate know about your visit?" he asked quickly as she shook her head and looked around at the apartment, surprised to see so many family image containing Kate covering the walls and surfaces.

"I just thought we could talk" she smiled as she walked over to the couch and sat down before patting the space beside her. Shaking his head, the writer slowly moved towards the other couch before also sitting down.

"Kate's not here right now Madison" Rick stated as the blonde nodded. "Maybe you could come back later when Kate's home" he suggested.

"Who said I wanted to talk to Kate?" she smirked as she stood up and walked towards him. "I know the type of man you are Richard Castle because unlike Kate, I've read all the magazines so you don't have me fooled like her" she explained as he groaned, hating this woman more with every passing minute. "I'm more of your type Rick" she whispered as he stared at her as she moved his crutches away, removing any chance of him being able to get off the couch. "I'm blonde, I have bigger boobs which seems to be an important factor when you choose women and most of all I'm not as frigid as Kate" she smirked, leaning down to kiss him. Pushing her away, the writer glared at her as she continued to smile at him; neither of them hearing the door open as Kate entered the apartment silently.

"What the hell are you doing?" he screamed as Madison began to unbutton the shirt she was wearing. "I love Kate and I'm not interested in you".

"Love her you've got to be joking, no one loves Kate except for her sad excuse of a father" Madison laughed as Kate stared at her from the doorway, tears filling her eyes as she listened to everything the blonde was saying about her.

"Kate's father is an amazing man Madison and I love her too much to ruin our relationship with someone like you" he declared as the blonde stared at him, anger building up on her face as she too in what he was saying. He didn't want her? He wanted Kate! No one ever wanted Kate over her!

"What's Kate got that I haven't? She's not pretty, she's actually quite ugly compared to me" the blonde stated as Rick laughed. "What's funny?"

"You don't see how disgusting you really are" the writer stated. "You don't have a heart Madison and you certainly don't know at friendship is" he hissed. "Kate is gorgeous inside and out and I would never go for a woman like you even if you were the last woman left on the planet because how could any man be with someone as cold and heartless as you?" he stated, wishing he could stand up and lead her out of the apartment and from their lives. "Also Kate isn't frigid".

"Come on Rick, she freaks out every time a guy tries to touch her" Madison announced, furious at the idea that a guy was turning her down for Kate; plain, frigid Kate Beckett.

"Kate wasn't frigid; she was waiting for the right guy. It's one of the things that attracted me to her because she didn't just fling herself at whatever guy looked at her like people who she convinced herself were her friends" he declared, hearing a floorboard creak behind him. Turning his head, the writer found himself staring at the silent brunette as Madison pulled her shirt back on. "Kate" he whispered.

"Madison leave" Kate ordered as Madison's eyebrows rose. "Get out of my house and never come back" the brunette stated as her friend smirked at he.

"I give it a couple of months Kate, he'll get bored of you, everyone does" Madison smiled. "Your own mother enjoyed spending time with me more than she did you, you've always been dull little Kate Beckett who didn't know who she was. You just stay in the shadows and follow others around because you're no one" Madison hissed, gasping when Kate's fist hit her cheek.

"Get out of my house or so help me I will make your nose so fucked up you won't be able to look at yourself in the mirror" Kate declared as Madison held her hand to her cheek before leaving silently. Looking across at the writer, Kate felt the tears run down her cheeks uncontrollably.

"I would come over and hug you but Madison threw my crutches out of reach" he admitted as Kate laughed gently and walked over, sitting herself in his lap as he tightened his arms around her and pressed a kiss into her dark hair. "None of what you said was true, you're beautiful, sexy, woman Katherine" he whispered as she remained silent, her head burying into his neck as he held her close. "And you are far from frigid" he smiled as she laughed. "You're a sex addict Kate and I love it".

"Rick I'm not a sex addict" she moaned. "I have a healthy sex life" she muttered as he shrugged and kissed her gently. "Do you really want me more than Madison?" she asked as shock covered his face.

"What are you talking about? You know I do Kate" he declared as she fell silent. "After a year of being together Kate, do you really think I could want another woman?" he smiled as she clung to him, not wanting him to let go of her. "You're the love of my life Katherine Beckett" he stated.

"And you're mine" she stated as he pressed another kiss into her hair and wrapped his arms tighter around her. "Didn't a part of you ever want Maddy, I mean she is what you traditionally go after" she admitted as he groaned and shut his eyes, hating that they were yet to get over this stage of worry.

"Kate I've never been interested in Madison" he stated. "I love you Kate, I think you're the most beautiful woman in the world, I love being with you no matter what we're doing, I love making love to you Kate, I want to marry you" he declared, his anger stopping when she gently kissed him. "I want to marry you" he whispered.

"I know" she muttered as he sighed and held her close to him.

"Marry me Kate" he begged as shock covered her face. He was asking her to marry him? "I'm not saying soon but let's make it official" he smiled as she remained silent. "Look Kate, you see this ring" the writer stated as he lifted her hand to reveal the promise ring she was wearing.

"Yes" she muttered, clearly still in shock from his admition.

"When you're ready to become officially engaged, move it onto your ring finger" he stated as she nodded, liking that he wasn't forcing an answer out of her and giving her time to answer when she was ready.

**I know a big step for them and if you dislike it then I can make it vanish. However, I hope you enjoyed the chapter as I finally found some time to write this in my hectic schedule. Please review, not only does it show me that you're still reading but it gets me through the hell of A Levels! **

**Thank you **


	10. Chapter 10

"Hello toes, I've missed you" Rick smiled as he stared at his foot and listened as Kate laughed in amazement, knowing that the writer was excited about having the cast removed and being able to get on with his life without the worries of not making it around places. "Look Kate, it's my foot" he smirked as she rolled her eyes and kissed him gently as the doctor laughed and left the couple alone for a moment. "Have you missed my foot Kate?" he asked seriously as he stared at her, shock covering her face as she attempted to think of an answer.

"Why would I have missed your foot Rick? It's not my favourite part of your body" she asked before wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing a quick kiss to his cheek. "When we get home there's something I need to talk to you about" she admitted as he nodded and watched as the doctor re-entered the room and smiled at them. "Is he okay now? Can we go?" Kate asked.

"Just one more minute" the man explained as Kate relaxed back in her chair, her fingers still entwined with the writers. "You're going to have to take it easy Mr Castle, your ankle is still weak and you'll need to do specific exercises to build up your strength again" he stated as both Kate and Rick nodded silently, already expecting that. "Anyway, you're doing well and hopefully we won't see you again for a long time Mr Castle".

"I don't plan on coming back for a while doc, hospitals aren't my favourite place in New York" Rick stated as Kate smiled gently and watched as the writer sat up and stared at her for a moment before kissing her gently. "There's one place we won't be leaving for a while though Officer Beckett and it has a large bed in there" he whispered against her lips as surprise covered her face at the fact that he was suggesting that in front of his doctor who cleared his throat and said goodbye to the younger man.

"Come on, let's go home writer man" Kate smiled as he nodded and stood up, groaning when he applied pressure to his ankle. "Be careful, you're still not one hundred per cent" she explained as he nodded again, allowing her to assist him out of the room. Entering the elevator, Kate sighed as she watched the writer relax back against the wall before his eyes shut. "Tired?" she asked.

"Exhausted" he smiled, his eyes opening again when the lift opened and she helped him out again; knowing that she needed to give him support in order for them to make it to the car. "So, mother has taken Alexis out for the day and we're going to have the loft for ourselves so what are we going to do all alone in our big loft?" he asked, hoping that she would answer with the response he was hoping for.

"Rick you've just had your cast removed, we're not going to be jumping into the bed and ravishing each other today. When you get better and have a bit more strength then we'll contemplate the idea again" she stated as he groaned and shut his eyes, knowing that it wasn't the answer he had been hoping for. "I know you want to have sex Rick but I just want you to be completely healthy when we make love again" she explained as she began to drive as the writer continued to stare at her.

"You wanted to tell me something Kate" he stated as she smiled and thought about the phone call she'd received the previous day. "So are you going to tell me?" he asked as she laughed gently and thought about the best way to tell him.

"I got a phone call yesterday" she admitted as he nodded. "It was from a precinct, they've found me a partner and want me to start as a beat cop next week" she stated as shock covered his face. "I know it's soon and Alexis still has her casts on and you've only just got yours removed but it's an amazing opportunity and the man they've partnered me with is a legend" she stated as his eyebrows rose.

"Man?" he asked.

"Rick, being a cop is a male dominated field, of course the likelihood of my partner being a man was high" she stated as he groaned, already hating the idea of her working with a man. "Rick you know that you're the love of my life and no man is going to ruin that especially an older training officer".

"Yeah but you're a sexy woman Kate with an amazing personality and I'm terrified that someone might take advantage of it" he moaned as she laughed gently and smiled before parking the car and turning to look at him. "You're going to be a cop Kate, it's actually happening Kate" he explained as she laughed and nodded, leaning across to kiss him gently as his fingers ran through her hair before resting on her cheek. "Officer Beckett" he laughed.

"Officer Beckett" she smiled before kissing him again and relaxing her forehead against his. "Is this really happening?" she asked.

"Yes Kate, it's happening" he stated before they climbed out of the car and her arm wrapped around his waist to stop him from falling over. "You're doing it Kate, you're becoming a cop and your mom would be so proud" he smiled before gently pressed a kiss into her hair as she fell silent. "Your mom would be so proud of everything you've done Kate, looking after me and Alexis, getting a career like becoming a cop, being the amazing woman that you are".

"Thank you" she whispered gently before kissing him and climbing out of the car, the two of them walking together as she cuddled into his side. Entering the apartment a few moments later, Kate sighed as she helped Rick to the couch and kicked her shoes off before cuddling up beside him and laughing. "Are you going to be okay without me here?" she asked.

"Of course I will be Katie" he stated as he pressed a kiss into her hair and tightened his arms around her. "Mother is going to be here because she's not got a new play on and she'll do anything to help Alexis" the writer declared as he held her closer and watched as she stared up at him. "Don't worry about anything else but being a cop Kate, we'll be here every time you come home and we'll be fine although Alexis is going to miss you".

"I'll miss her and I'll miss you, you're all I'm going to be able to think of when I'm there, I'm used to spending every minute of the day with you now" she admitted, kissing him gently as his fingers began to run into her jeans. "No" she stated.

"Come on" he begged as she laughed gently and shook her head at him. "Please Katie I miss you" he begged as she shut her eyes and attempted to remain strong. "Please" he begged.

"If I end up hurting your ankle you can't moan about it Richard" she ordered as he smiled and nodded, watching as the brunette stood up and took hold of his hand before leading him towards their bedroom as his smile continued to grow.

XOXOXOOXXXOO

"That's probably mother, she always forgets her key" Rick moaned as he heard a knock on the door, Kate nodding as she climbed out of the tent they'd prepared in the living room to surprise Alexis with. Rick had admitted earlier that Alexis had always wanted to go camping and Kate had surprisingly come up with the idea as it was something she'd once done with her parents. Walking towards the door, Kate sighed as she opened it to see Lanie, Javier and Kevin standing in the doorway; surprise covering the brunette's face as they beamed at her.

"We heard writer boy was having his cast removed" Lanie stated as Kate nodded and allowed them into the apartment, shock covering their face as they stared at the tent that was pitched in the middle of the living room.

"What is with the tent Kate?" Kevin asked in shock as Kate laughed and shut the door in amusement as Rick appeared out of the tent and stared at them with a large smile covering his face.

"Someone want to explain the tent?" Esposito asked as Kate nodded.

"It's a surprise for Alexis, she's still feeling a little down about the fact that she's still got to have her casts on so we're taking her camping" Kate explained as confusion covered her friends faces.

"Camping?" Kevin asked.

"Okay we're taking her camping in the house because she still can't go outside really, she's getting so fed up of the apartment" Kate added as she heard the door open and watched as the actress entered the room with Alexis as shock covered the six year olds face. "Surprise" Kate laughed as the redhead continued to stare at the tent in amazement.

"It's a tent" Alexis stated as both Kate and Rick nodded.

"We're camping" Rick smiled as shock covered her face before she cheered; making every adult laugh at her obvious excitement at the idea. "Mother you're quite welcome to join us tonight" the writer explained as he looked up at the older woman who shrugged with a small smile painted across her face as she looked at the brunette.

"Can Lanie and the guys stay?" Alexis asked as Kate looked across at her friends who fell silent in amazement.

"Why don't you ask them then sweetheart?" Kate whispered to the redhead who quickly looked up at the other adults.

"Do you want to camp with us?" Alexis asked as Lanie nodded quickly before elbowing Javier in the stomach who quickly nodded as well before glaring down at his girlfriend. "Kevin you're going to stay too right?" the redhead asked as the other man finally nodded.

"Fortunately for you three I have another tent so we won't all have to cuddle" Rick stated as Kate nodded and moved to kiss his cheek before disappearing to collect the other tent. "Although I can imagine you being a cuddler Kevin" Rick teased as the man felt the embarrassment cover his face while Javier laughed at the writers joke.

"You can laugh Javier but I know just how much of a cuddler you are" Lanie said seriously as shock covered Javier's face at her comment.

"I think that I might go and stay in a hotel tonight, leave all of you to enjoy your camping holiday" Martha smiled as Rick nodded, not surprised that his mother was leaving before the whole camping idea.

"Yeah we should go and get some clothes" Lanie stated as Kate reappeared with the tent bag. "Come on Javier" Lanie ordered as the writer laughed as Lanie and Esposito left the apartment, quickly followed by Kevin.

"He is so whipped" Rick commented as Kate walked over and kissed him before smiling.

"So are you sweetheart" Kate smiled before walking over to Alexis and pressing a kiss into hair. "Are you going to laugh as I attempt to put another tent up?" the brunette asked as the redhead nodded and smiled up at the older woman who quickly moved towards the bag she had placed on the floor a few moments ago. "Tonight should be interesting" she commented.

"That's one way to describe it" the writer muttered.

XOOXOXOXOXOXO

"Look, you both match. That's cute" Lanie laughed as they all sat on the floor together, the medical student laughing at the sight of Rick and Kate in matching batman pyjamas. "So what do you do when you go camping? I never went as a kid" Lanie stated as shock covered everyone's face.

"Never?" Kevin and Javier asked at the same time as Lanie nodded in admition. "What did you do as a kid?" Javier asked in shock as the writer laughed and wrapped his left arm around the brunette while his right arm wrapped around his daughter.

"We went places with a pool and sun" Lanie stated as everyone nodded. "I liked the pool" she shrugged.

"What she means is she liked watching the guys in the pool" Kate teased as Rick laughed while Lanie glared across at the writer. "Right I'm going to turn all the lights off, we're camping" she explained as she climbed off the floor and disappeared before the whole apartment fell into darkness.

"How are we going to see if we're in the dark?" Kevin asked as everyone laughed.

"You're not supposed to Kevin, that's the point" Kate joked before turning on her torch and pointed it at the man. "Torch meet Kevin, Kevin meet torch" she smirked as he glared across at her.

"Watch it Kate" Kevin laughed as she stuck her tongue out, laughing when she felt a cushion smack her face.

"Now you're asking for it Ryan" she smiled, throwing the cushion back as Alexis giggled in amusement as the cushion hit the back of Javier's head, Kate's mouth opening in shock as the man turned around and glared at her.

"Get Beckett" he shouted as both men climbed off the floor and chased the brunette who quickly ran off while Lanie, Alexis and Rick laughed at the scene.

"They're like a crazy messed up family" Lanie commented as Rick nodded.

"We're all one crazy messed up family" the writer stated as he heard Kate squeal. Turning on a nearby torch, the writer watched as Esposito threw Kate onto his shoulder as she shrieked in response. "Defiantly a crazy family" he laughed.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

"Is she asleep?" Javier asked as Kate crawled out of the tent and nodded, thinking about the redhead who had fallen asleep practically the moment her head hit the pillow. "When do they think they'll be able to remove her casts?" the cop asked.

"A couple more weeks" Rick sighed as Kate nodded slowly. "She's getting bored and she misses her friend and school".

"She misses school? What sort of child are you raising Rick?" Javier joked as he shrugged.

"A genius" he commented as Kate nodded and curled up beside him as she watched her three friends in amazement.

"Most of the time Alexis is more responsible than Rick, although they can both actually like children at times" Kate laughed as he rolled his eyes and tightened his arm around her, wanting to feel her close to him.

"So Kate, we heard that you received a phone call" Kevin commented as Kate glared up at the writer.

"You can't keep anything to yourself, can you?" she moaned before looking across at the two cops'. "I received a phone call; they've offered me a job next week so I'll be joining you guys" she smiled as they cheered.

"Finally catching up Beckett" Javier smirked.

"Don't worry Javier, I'll be ahead of you before you know it" she smirked as both Lanie and Rick laughed, knowing that it was probably true!

**Thank you for your amazing response! **

**Please tell me what you think so review, review, review!**


	11. Chapter 11

"Good morning Officer Beckett" Rick smiled as he heard Kate walk out of their bedroom after getting ready. Turning around, Rick felt his pride increase as he stared at the nineteen year old who was dressed in her uniform with her dark hair flowing naturally. "You look amazing" he stated as she laughed and walked over, her lips finding his as her hands wrapped around his neck. "I made you breakfast" he stated as she looked across to see the waffles he'd prepared staring up at her.

"What did I do to deserve you?" she asked gently before kissing him again, desperately not wanting to let him go. "I can't believe you made me breakfast" she stated before shaking her head. "I can't believe you're awake Rick, you're normally asleep at the moment" she mumbled as she sat down and began to eat the food he'd prepared for her.

"It's my girlfriends first day as a cop, of course I'm going to be awake to say goodbye to her and make her a decent breakfast before she leaves for a long day of being the best cop in New York" he explained as he walked over and grabbed her mug of coffee before bringing it over to her and pressing a kiss into her hair. "How are you feeling?" he asked as he took the seat beside her.

"Terrified Rick, I'm absolutely terrified about today" she admitted before laughing at her own emotions. "Excited, nervous, my emotions are going into overdrive at the moment" she explained as he nodded and found her hand, his fingers entwining with hers as she continued to eat. "What are you going to do today?" she asked.

"I don't know right now" he admitted as she smiled at him. "I'll probably be a bit more relaxed today because Alexis isn't going to like the fact that you're not here" he explained as she groaned, hating the idea of leaving her little girl at home without her. "Hey" Rick announced as he noticed the sadness that covered her face. "Alexis understands how much you want this Kate and she's so proud of you. I remember every time we discussed you when you were at the academy she was so excited about you becoming a cop and I've never seen a little girl so proud of her mother before" the writer explained as Kate nodded and quickly leant across to steal another kiss from him.

"I need to do my hair" she mumbled, noticing that she had now finished her breakfast.

"Give me a second" Rick whispered as he stood up and ran his fingers through her dark hair, a small laugh leaving her lips as she took in what he was doing. "I love your hair" he admitted as she rolled her eyes. "It's so sexy" he commented as she leant up and kissed him again, not wanting to leave the security of his arms for the dangers of being a cop. "I know you're scared but you can do this Kate, I know you can do this" he whispered against her lips.

"What if I do something wrong?" she asked.

"You couldn't do anything wrong if you tried Officer Beckett" he smiled as his hand rested against her cheek and pressed another kiss to her forehead. "I love you" he whispered as she shut her eyes and rested her forehead against his chest and moaned.

"I love you too Rick, I love you so much" she muttered before relaxing for a moment. "I should go and say goodbye to Alexis" she stated as Rick nodded and watched as she climbed off her chair and walked towards Rick's office where Alexis was still sleeping. Entering the office, Kate sighed at the sight of the redhead who was lying fast asleep in the middle of the bed with her good arm wrapped around the bear that Kate had given her from her childhood. Approaching her, Kate slowly pressed a kiss to Alexis' cheek before kneeling down beside the bed and watching her for a moment. "I wish you were awake so you could know that I'm saying goodbye and that I'll be home before you know it" she admitted as she sighed. "I love you Alexis".

"Kate you need to do your hair, you have to leave in a minute" Rick called out from the corridor as she looked across at a little girl before standing and pressing another kiss to her forehead.

"Mommy loves you sweetheart, mommy loves you so much" Kate whispered to her before walking out of the room to see Rick sat on the couch watching her.

"Can I do your hair?" he asked as confusion covered her face as she turned to look at him. "I've been doing Alexis' hair for years, I can do yours. I want to do yours" he smiled as she shrugged and walked towards him, sitting down beside him as he began to brush her hair.

"This is something I never imagined doing" she commented as he laughed. "Having my boyfriend do my hair for me, it just seems odd Rick" she admitted as he shrugged and continued to run the hairbrush through her dark hair.

"I really do love your hair" he admitted as she laughed. "And I love you" he added as he nodded and felt him pull her back. "You're going to be fantastic today Kate" he stated, finishing her hair before she turned and kissed him. "Right Officer Beckett, off you go sweetheart" he smiled as she laughed and stood up, his hand taking hold of hers as she relaxed and stared down at him.

"I'll be home for dinner" she declared before leaning down and kissing him, her hand pulling away from his as she approached the door.

"I love you Officer Beckett" Rick shouted after her as she laughed.

"I love you writer man" she laughed before walking out and shutting the door. She'd taken the first step to becoming a beat cop.

XOXOOXOXXOXO

"Katherine Beckett?" a man asked as Kate nodded and stared at him for a moment, watching as he stared her up and down as silence fell upon them. "I'm Mike Royce, your training officer" he stated as she nodded again, not knowing what to say. "Do you talk kid?" he asked as she nodded, the two of them laughing.

"Sorry, just slightly…" she began before falling silent, knowing that she wasn't making a particularly good first impression.

"It's okay to be nervous in here kid but out there you can't be" he stated as she nodded, knowing that he was right.

"Kate" she heard some call out behind her, forcing her to turn to see Kevin and Javier standing in their uniforms with large smiles covering their faces. "Look at you in your uniform" Javier smiled as Kate rolled her eyes and watched them walk over to her. "Look at our little girl, all grown up in her police uniform" he teased as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Whatever Esposito, I'll be kicking your ass again before you know it so watch out little boy" she teased as Royce laughed at her before looking at the watch he was wearing. "Do we need to go?" Kate asked as he shrugged.

"We should go and get your things" he admitted as she nodded and smiled up at Javier and Kevin.

"I'll see you guys later" she smiled as both men nodded. "Maybe we can go for drinks later this week" she suggested as both men nodded again and said goodbye to her as she followed Royce down a corridor, her excitement building up as they stopped and he smiled at her before turning to look at her.

"These are the most important things you'll ever have" he stated as she nodded and watched as he removed her stuff. "Of course, these three are what you need the most important things you'll need" he smiled as he showed her the gun, handcuffs and badge that were now hers.

"Wow" she laughed as the man stared at her. Watching as he removed other things, Kate smiled in excitement as she slowly reached across and held her badge in her hand and stared at it for a moment. This was her now! This was her identification!

"So what do I call you?" Royce asked as he continued to watch her as she ran her fingers across her number.

"Beckett" she stated as he laughed.

"What do I call you when we're not working?" he smirked as she looked up at him in shock. Was he flirting with her?

"Why would we be together when we're not working?" she asked as he laughed and moved closer to her.

"Maybe one evening we decide to go out for drinks after a hard day's work or something" the detective smiled as she stared at him in amusement. He really was flirting with her.

"I don't think my boyfriend would like that" she stated as he shrugged.

"He doesn't need to know" he declared as Kate rolled her eyes. "A few nights a week sharing a drink to celebrate, I'm sure it's not illegal" he explained as they began to walk down the corridor together as she laughed gently; attempting to wonder whether Rick would have hit the man already if the writer had heard what Royce was saying.

"My little girl might not appreciate that though" she explained as shock covered his face.

"You're a mom?" he asked in amazement as she nodded.

"I'm a mom but right now I'm a cop so shall we get going Royce?" she suggested as he nodded and smiled at her. This girl was surprising him!

XOOXOXOOXOXO

"Something smells good" Kate smiled as she slipped into the apartment to see Alexis fast asleep on the couch while the writer stood in the kitchen cooking something.

"How was your first day?" Rick asked as he turned to look at her.

"I will tell you in a second, I just want to put my gun away" she admitted as shock covered his face. "Yes Rick, I have a gun now" she teased, his smile growing as he stared at her before following her into his office where the safe was. "What's the code?" she asked.

"Alexis' birthday" he smiled, watching as the brunette unlocked the safe and quickly placed her gun into it before turning to look at him. "My girlfriend is a cop with a gun that is so unbelievably sexy" he declared as she beamed in amazement before walking over to wrap her arms around his neck and gently kissed him. "Did you miss me?" he asked.

"I missed you" she whispered as her arms tightened around his neck. "If one more man tries to hit on me while I'm working though…" she began as he stared at her in amazement, not surprised that men had been flirting with her since she'd entered the precinct. "One guy was so shocked to discover that I was a mother Rick" she admitted as his arms tightened around her hips and rested against her ass. "I've missed you today Rick, more than I actually thought possible" the brunette declared.

"I've missed you too Katie" he explained before he heard something smash on the floor from within the living room. "Alexis is awake and she'll want her mommy because she's bored of me after spending one day with just me" he announced as Kate nodded and walked out of the room to see Alexis attempting to sit up on the couch.

"Mommy" Alexis smiled as Kate walked towards the redhead and gently pressed a kiss to her forehead. "How was work mommy? Did you catch any bad guys?" the redhead asked as Kate helped her sit up and gently brushed her hair away from the six year olds face.

"I didn't catch any bad guys today sweetheart" Kate sighed as she stared at the redhead in amazement, realising just how much she had missed her daughter when she'd gone to work. "We just filled in paperwork today, it was really boring actually" the brunette declared as she wrapped her arms around the young woman as Kate held her close for a moment. "But I got my badge today".

"You got a badge?" Alexis asked as the cop nodded. "Can I see it?" Alexis laughed as Kate nodded and removed it from her pocket before passing it to the little girl who held it in amazement; her fingers running across the number like Kate had done earlier that day.

"Right dinner for my two favourite women" Rick smiled as he walked out of the office and approached the kitchen again as Kate continued to watch the little girl who was completely enthralled by the badge she was holding. Hearing a knock at the door, Kate smiled as she walked over and quickly opened it to see Martha and her father standing in the doorway.

"Dad" Kate smiled as his arms wrapped around her.

"Officer Beckett" Jim smirked as she rolled her eyes and allowed Martha to wrap her arms around her when Jim moved away from her and into the kitchen. "I brought dessert" the older man stated as Rick smiled, glad that the older man had brought something with him because he'd known that he hadn't had the time to make something for after dinner. "So Kate, tell us all about your first day".

"Well I met my training officer, he's called Mike Royce and he seems okay" Kate admitted as Rick looked across at her, noticing how her voice become uncertain at the mention of the detective. "I got my badge and my gun and my handcuffs".

"Handcuffs, you didn't mention handcuffs" Rick stated as both Martha and Jim glared across at him, knowing exactly what the writer was thinking about.

"Richard little ears" Martha warned as he nodded and returned to cooking while Kate bit into her lip. "Carry on Kate" the redhead smiled.

"We did some paperwork, I met Javier and Kevin for lunch and we discussed some things and well I came home. Hopefully more things will happen tomorrow" the brunette stated as her father nodded, his face covered in pride as he stared at his daughter. Standing up, Kate slowly walked towards the writer who was beginning to serve food as she slowly wrapped her arms around him and leant up to kiss his cheek. "Don't worry Rick, I know exactly what you're thinking about with the handcuffs" she smirked as shock covered his face. "Now how about I help with serving up dinner?"

XOOXOXOXOXOXO

"That is adorable" Rick smiled as he stared at his daughter who was curled up on the couch fast asleep while her good hand clung onto Kate's badge after not letting it go since Kate had given it to her. "She's so proud of you Katie" the writer smiled as he tightly wrapped his arms around the younger woman who was stood beside him with a small grin painted on her face.

"I'm so proud of her, she's so strong and she's coping with everything so well" Kate admitted, leaning down to gently press a kiss to the redhead's forehead. "I should move her, her neck will kill her in the morning otherwise" the brunette whispered as the writer nodded and watched as Kate carefully lifted their little girl into her arms and approached the office. Placing Alexis on her bed a few seconds later, Kate sighed as she stared at the redhead for a moment before smiling; not surprised that the six year old was still clinging onto her badge. "I love you, you wonderful little girl" the brunette admitted before walking out of the room to see Rick waiting for her.

"You didn't like any of these guys who were flirting with you did you?" he asked as shock covered her face.

"Richard Castle, you're the love of my life, my best friend and my lover" the brunette declared as she walked over to rest her hand against his cheek; not knowing what else to do. "You're the only man who will ever have my attention Rick" she explained before kissing him. "And one day we'll get married and make little Castle babies together" she admitted as his eyebrows rose. "Did I just say that outloud?" she asked as he nodded. "Oh god, that's embarrassing".

"I like the sound of Castle babies" he explained as she rolled her eyes and kissed him again. "Now Officer Beckett, I want to watch you get out of your uniform and become the dirty Katie that I know you can be after hours" he teased as she rolled her eyes and took hold of his hand, leading them towards the bedroom as she laughed gently.

**Thank you for your amazing response to the last chapter and I hope you like this one just as much. **

**Please review and tell me what you want to see more or less of, I want to make sure that you enjoy this just as much as I enjoy writing it. **


	12. Chapter 12

**This chapter is set three months after the last chapter! **

"Remember the days when there were no alarm clocks in the morning Kate, I like those mornings" Rick laughed as he stretched out and watched as Kate slid out of the bed and approached the en-suite, a small smile covering her face as she turned to look at him. "So I was thinking do you get a lunch break?" he asked as she stepped out of the en-suite in just her underwear as she began to pull her hair back.

"Of course I get a lunch break, around an hour actually" she explained as he watched her in amazement, taking her in as she gently placed the necklace of her mother's ring around her neck before sighing. "Why are you so interested in my lunch Richard Castle?" she asked as he laughed and sat up, watching as she began to pull on her uniform.

"I thought maybe I could take you out for lunch, maybe for a burger or something simple" he admitted as she nodded and smiled across at him. "We could catch up, it's been a while since we had some time alone to talk" he declared as she nodded and quickly stole a kiss before laughing. "I'll come to the precinct and pick you up at midday then" he explained as she nodded in agreement, squealing when he pulled her down onto the bed. "God I love you Katie" he admitted, smiling when she gently kissed him and ran her fingers through his dark hair as their eyes locked.

"I love you too" she muttered before looking across at the time. "I need to get going, Royce will kick my ass if I'm late again because we've been making out in the morning again" she declared before moving away from him and getting off the bed as he groaned and watched her.

"Does Royce know that we're making out?" he asked as she shook her head and leant across to kiss him. "Midday, lunch time remember Kate" he stated as she nodded and walked out of the room to see Martha standing in the hall way with a travel mug in her hands.

"Coffee darling" the redhead smiled as she passed the mug to the younger woman and gently pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Go and be the brilliant woman you are Katherine" she whispered as Kate smiled up, glad that she had a mother figure when she needed one.

"Thank you for the coffee" Kate smiled before she went to collect her gun from the office, surprised by the fact that she hadn't woken the younger redhead up like she did most mornings. Placing her gun in the holster, Kate sighed as she leant down and gently pressed a kiss to Alexis' forehead before sighing, still hating that she had to leave her little girl. Three months of being a cop and she still hated leaving Alexis before she was even awake. "I love you" Kate muttered before standing and walking out, knowing that she was going to be late for work again.

XOOXOXOXOXOXO

Getting directions of a young cop when looked just slightly older than Kate, the writer smiled as he began to walk down the corridor; excited to finally spend some alone time with his girlfriend. Reaching the doors, Rick sighed as he entered the room and found himself staring across at the break room in the distance to see Kate standing beside an older man while they both laughed.

"Excuse me" Rick declared as a woman walked past him. "Who is that with Officer Beckett?" he asked as the woman smiled and looked across at the couple who were laughing in the break room.

"That's Detective Mike Royce" she stated as Rick felt the knot in his stomach tighten. "He absolutely adores her, they're a cute couple" she explained as he bit his lip to stop himself from screaming out at the woman and the man in break room that Kate was his girlfriend and practically fiancée as well. Hearing the door open, Rick looked up to see Kate walking towards him with a sad smile covering her face.

"Hey" Rick declared, unable to smile as he felt Royce's eyes on him.

"I'm sorry Rick but I can't go to lunch today, we have a case that we're working on and we can't take a break at the moment" Kate stated as the writer nodded, not knowing what to say to her because he could still feel the detective watching them, watching Kate! "Hey what's wrong?" Kate asked as she found his hand and smiled up at him. "Rick, talk to me" she begged.

"It's nothing" he stated as she stared at him, not believing that there wasn't anything annoying him. "I've got to go" he sighed, moving away from her as she bit into her lip. "I'll see you tonight Kate" the writer whispered as he moved towards the door. Walking after him, Kate quickly rested her hand on his shoulder as they left the room together in silence.

"Rick I love you" she mumbled as he nodded.

"I know" he stated before moving towards the exit as she just watched in shock. He hadn't said it! Rick hadn't said that he loved her too like he always did. Hearing the door open behind her, Kate turned to look at the detective who was standing behind her.

"Everything okay kid?" Royce asked as she nodded.

"Everything's fine Royce, everything's fine" the brunette stated before she walked back into the room, knowing if the case got solved she could go home and make things up with her boyfriend.

XOOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Groaning as he woke up, the writer sighed as he opened his eyes and looked across the living room to see that the apartment was dark and silent. Where with his mother and Alexis and most of all Kate? Was she with Royce? Were they laughing together over a case? Sitting up, the writer watched as a letter fell off his chest and onto the floor before he lifted it up and stared at the sentence.

_On the roof X _

Standing, the writer sighed as he walked towards the front door and smiled at the shoes that were resting by the door. Kate was clearly home and arranging something for him. Walking towards the door that led to the roof, Rick sighed as he hiked up the stairs before pushing the heavy door open and smiling at the sight of Kate pouring a glass of wine that she'd clearly stolen from his collection downstairs.

"Hey" Kate smiled when she noticed him in the doorway with a large smile covering his face. "I thought I'd make up for lunch by preparing you dinner, I even talked to Martha so we have the whole apartment to ourselves for the whole night Rick" the brunette stated as he watched her in amazement. She was dressed in a simple black dress that clung to her curves and highlighted how perfect her figure was. She looked gorgeous and he couldn't help but fall more in love with her in that moment.

"You look stunning" he admitted as she laughed gently and felt the embarrassment cover her face. "I can't believe how beautiful you look" the writer whispered as she walked towards him and wrapped her arms around his neck before kissing him; shocked when he didn't respond.

"Tell me what's going on" she begged against his lips as he groaned and rested his forehead against hers. "Tell me so I can make it better" the brunette explained as she shut his eyes and tried to think of a way to phrase it.

"I don't like Mike Royce" he stated as she stared at him in confusion. "The way he looks at you Kate and one woman actually thought you were a couple; it seems that at work everyone is unaware that you're in a serious relationship Kate" the writer stated as she shook her head and ran her hand to her cheek, the writer smiling at the feel of her cold promise ring against his cheek.

"I love _you _Richard Castle" Kate announced as he stared at her. "No, I haven't told everyone at work that I'm in a serious relationship because I want privacy. I don't want you and Alexis coming into that world because if the two of you mix, I don't know what I'll do. You make me happy, you make me laugh and you just make everything better after work but work is full of sadness and fighting" she stated as he nodded slowly.

"And what about Mike Royce?" he asked.

"Mike Royce means nothing to me" she stated as he just watched her entwine her fingers with his. "He's my partner and my training officer but I'm not attracted to him Rick, you know that the only person in the world who I'm attracted to is my wonderful boyfriend" she explained as she kissed him quickly. "I love you, I love our life together, I love our daughter, I love what our future is going to be like" she admitted before she kissed him again. "Royce might flirt but he knows I'm serious about you and if you want, I'll tell everyone that I'm in a serious relationship with the man of my dreams".

"You don't need to do that Kate" he whispered before kissing her gently. "Sorry to worry you today, it just shocked me to see you with him" he explained as she shrugged and led him towards the table she'd created that was holding their wine glasses and dinner. "I can't believe you did all of this" he stated as they sat down and she shrugged.

"I wanted to make it up to you, I know I haven't been completely here since I started the force but I'm going to try and be around more. I've talked to Royce about getting the weekends off to be spend with you and Alexis and he says it's possible because Alexis is so young" she explained as he smiled. "I still want to be your girlfriend and Alexis' mother Rick" she declared as they began to eat. "I was thinking that we could arrange for Paige and some other of her friends to come over after her casts are removed on Saturday, I know Alexis has missed them" Kate suggested as the writer nodded.

"That's an amazing idea, I'll get on the phone to them tomorrow" Rick smiled as she beamed and reached across for his hand, squeezing it when she took hold of it and ran her finger across his promise ring. "I love you" he whispered.

"I love you too you wonderfully protective man, I love you too" she laughed as he rolled his eyes and kissed her hand gently. Finishing their meals, the brunette sighed as she relaxed back in her chair and watched as the writer stood up and approached her; holding his hand out for hers. "What?" she asked.

"Dance with me" he whispered as she bit into her bottom lip and nodded, allowing him to take hold of her hand before she stood up and tightly wrapped her arms around him as they began to sway together to no music. "It's been a while since we've danced together Katie" he admitted as she nodded, not knowing when the last time they danced was. "I've missed it".

"I've missed it too" she explained as she leant up and gently kissed him again. "We need to make more time for us, the past few months have been a nightmare and I miss our alone time Rick" she admitted as he nodded, knowing that she was right. "We've been dealing with your physiotherapy and the doctors making Alexis keep those casts on for longer and your mother's new play and work and Gina calling with deadlines, we just need to stop and cuddle and be Kate and Rick again".

"I like that idea" he declared as he spun her around as she laughed gently. "Why don't we go back to the apartment?" he asked as she nodded and walked towards the wine bottle. "You don't normally drink sweetheart" he admitted as she stared at him.

"I had a glass tonight Rick; it was to celebrate tonight and our relationship. I just wanted to have one glass with you for once rather than just having a soft drink" she admitted as he nodded and wrapped an arm around her hips, enjoying having his Kate with him again. "I'm sorry what you saw earlier with Royce upset you".

"It doesn't matter, I was stupid for thinking that you'd cheat Kate because I know that's something that you would never do" he explained as she nodded and walking back into the building with him; not caring about anything else but them.

XOOXOXOXOX

"Have you ever thought about the type of wedding you want?" Kate asked as she cuddled up to him under the blanket in bed, his fingers gently running down her bare back as he groaned; attempting to think about the type of wedding he want.

"Small" he stated.

"But your marriage to Meredith…" she began as he groaned.

"Was huge, I know. But it was Meredith's dream wedding, not mine. I wasn't allowed to help plan anything, I basically got told where and when and that was it" he smiled as she gently pressed a kiss to his neck. "But I want a small wedding, just family and close friends. I want to see Alexis as a flower girl because she would love that role and my mother finally happy to be mother of the groom and your dad walking you up the aisle" he explained as he smiled, shutting her eyes as she listened to his plans. "Is it weird talking about dream weddings when you haven't even said yes to marrying me?" he asked.

"Of course not" she smiled. "Because we both know that I'm going to say yes one day" she laughed as he nodded, knowing she was right. "I want the same thing as you" she admitted as shock covered his face.

"You don't want the huge wedding?" he asked as she shook her head.

"I want a small wedding because it should be about our love and not about the party a wedding usually turns out to be" she stated as amazement covered his face at her explanation. "It's supposed to be intimate, no people who we barely know or like, just our close friends and families who we want to be there on our most important day".

"Sounds perfect" he whispered as he pressed a kiss into her dark hair and shut his eyes. "What time do you have to leave in the morning?" he asked as she groaned.

"The same time as always" she admitted.

"I really hate these early mornings Kate, I really do hate them" he moaned as she laughed and leant up to kiss him as his hands rested on her back. "Any idea when you're going to say yes to marrying me Katie?" he asked.

"When you least expect it" she teased.

**Thank you so much for your amazing response to the last chapter, keep the review coming! I absolutely adore hearing from every single one of you and it is amazing to hear what you all want to see and what you feel about the story! You are all amazing! **


	13. Chapter 13

"Mommy" Alexis squealed as she stepped out of the elevator and stared across the precinct at the brunette who was currently sat at her desk. Looking across Kate smiled as she walked over to the redhead and lifted her into her arms for a moment as she felt everyone watch her in confusion. "Look mommy no casts, I have my arm and leg back again" Alexis smiled as her feet touched the ground again and Kate stared at the redhead's arm and leg that had seemed to be missing for so long.

"That's amazing sweetheart" Kate whispered as she gently pressed a kiss to Alexis' forehead before looking up to see the writer watching her from behind his daughter. "You need to get going, if you're late for your meeting, you'll be late for Alexis' party later and we don't want that do we?" she declared as Alexis shook her head and stared up at her father, amusement covering his face as he took in everything she was saying. "Can I do something Rick?" she asked.

"Depends on what it is Officer Beckett?" he smiled as she stood up and turned to see everyone watching her in shock. Moving closer to the writer, Kate smiled as she gently kissed him and laughed against his lips as he grinned against her lips. "What was that for?" he asked as she entwined her fingers with his.

"Just telling everyone that I'm in a committed relationship with the man of my dreams and we're a family so they can go away" she admitted as he smiled at her and gently kissed her again before moving away. "Go see Gina, I'll see you tonight" the cop declared as she took hold of Alexis' hand and watched as he pressed a kiss into the redhead's hair and moved into the elevator. "Right I need to sign one more piece of paper Lex and then we'll head home" Kate explained as she led the six year old towards her desk and sat down. "Come on you can sit on my lap for a minute" the brunette explained as Alexis smiled.

"Cute kid Beckett" one man commented as she smiled at him. "How old were you when you started sleeping around then?" he asked as shock covered her face that he was mentioning this in front of her daughter.

"Officer Franks" Royce announced as he stood behind the man and watched as he turned to face him. "I think you need to apologise to Beckett and learn some manners" he stated as the uniformed cop stared down at his feet, hating that he'd been caught by the older man. "Now" Royce ordered.

"Sorry Beckett" he whispered before moving away as Royce watched Kate run her hand up and down the redhead's back who was curled up against her.

"So Beckett are you going to introduce me to your little girl?" he smiled as Kate nodded and stared down at Alexis.

"Alexis sweetheart, I want you to meet someone important" Kate whispered as Alexis stared up at him. "This is my partner Royce" she admitted as Alexis smiled weakly at him. "Royce this is Alexis, my little girl".

"Hi Alexis" he smiled as she beamed.

"Hello" the redhead greeted. "Do you keep my mommy safe?" she asked as Royce nodded.

"Of course I do kid, we don't want anyone to hurt her now, do we?" he smiled as Alexis shook her head and stared at Kate who was just smiling at them both. "Now Beckett take your daughter home and enjoy your weekend, I'll see you on Monday" he stated before walking off as Kate laughed and nudged Alexis so she would move off her lap.

"Are we going home now mommy?" Alexis asked as Kate nodded and took hold of her hand. Walking towards the lift, Kate smiled as she felt someone cover her eyes as she stood there and laughed.

"Guess who?" a voice asked as Kate laughed again.

"Javi" Alexis squealed as the man groaned and removed his hand from her face and smiled as Kate turned to look at him. "Are you coming to my party today Javi? You can bring Lanie with you if you want too" the redhead asked as Javier stared at the brunette in shock.

"Please tell me I've not forgotten a birthday" he moaned as Kate shook her head and stared at him before pointing at Alexis' arm. "Oh my god your casts are gone" he declared as Alexis laughed and squealed as they entered the lift together. "So the party is to celebrate to getting your casts off?" he questioned as both of them nodded at him. "Of course I'll be there, I'll bring Lanie and Kevin with me" he explained as Alexis squealed again, Kate laughing as she gently rested her hand on the six years old shoulder.

"Calm down sweetheart, you need to relax or you'll hurt yourself" Kate explained as Alexis nodded gently and watched as the doors opened. Stepping out, the brunette smiled as the six year old continued to cling onto her hand in excitement. "So we'll see you later?" Kate asked as Esposito nodded at her.

"We'll be there at around four if it's okay?" he declared as Kate smiled in agreement. "Lanie's at college today and Kevin's still working at the moment but we'll be there" he promised as the redhead nodded and began to lead Kate towards the door as Javier laughed at them.

XOXOOXOXOXOXXO

"Paige" Alexis squealed as her friend entered the apartment before the redhead quickly wrapped her arms around her friend and smiled in excitement as Kate watched proudly. Rick still hadn't returned home from his meeting and she had to look after three children until another adult arrived to help.

"So where's Rick?" Paige's mom asked as Kate groaned, knowing that the woman would want to talk about nothing important.

"He's in a meeting at the moment but he'll be home soon" Kate smiled as she watched a young boy walk towards them with his mother. "Hi" Kate declared as the man stared at her in shock before holding his hand out.

"Hi I'm Ashley's dad" he explained as Kate nodded and watched as Alexis walked towards her and smiled at the boy who was waiting beside his father. "Hey Alexis" the older man beamed.

"Hello" she smiled. "Come in Ashley, Paige is here" she beamed as the boy nodded and entered the apartment.

"Bye dad" he shrugged before running off with Alexis as Kate smiled across at the children who were sat laughing on the couch before looking at the boy's father.

"Ashley has a major crush on Alexis" he commented as Kate smiled and looked across at the couch again to see Alexis and Ashley sat close together smiling. "Thanks for inviting him over, he's really missed her at school. I've been meaning to bring him over to see her but works been hell" the man admitted as Kate shrugged.

"She's missed everyone too, thanks for bringing him this afternoon, it'll do her good to see everyone before she goes back to school on Monday" Kate declared as the man excused himself and quickly left the building as Kate shut the door and sighed. Three children!

XOXOOXOXXOXO

"Daddy" Alexis squealed as she ran over to the man who'd just entered the apartment with Javier, Kevin and Lanie. "We're watching movies daddy, come and watch with us" the redhead explained as she began to drag her father towards the couch where he smiled to see Kate curled up in the chair fast asleep.

"How long has mommy been asleep sweetheart?" Rick asked as the redhead looked across at the sleeping woman.

"Not very long daddy, a few minutes maybe" she stated as she moved back onto the couch that she was sharing with Paige and Ashley; her attention quickly taken over by the Disney film they were watching.

"Make yourselves at home guys, you know where the fridge is and everything" Rick commented as his friends nodded and watched as he carefully lifted Kate into his arms and carried her towards their bedroom. Entering the master room, the writer sighed as he gently rested Kate across the bed and watched as she curled up like she always did when she was alone in bed. "I love you beautiful" he whispered as he pressed a kiss to her forehead and walked out of the room to see Kevin, Lanie and Javier taking up the other couch. "So who wants pizza for dinner?" he asked.

"Pizza, pizza, pizza" all three children squealed in excitement as Rick laughed and stared at them, glad to see a smile covering his daughter's face again.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Hearing movement from the other room, Kate groaned as she slowly opened her eyes and found herself lying on their bed indicating that Rick was home. Climbing off the bed, she sighed as she opened the door and walked out to see the writer walking towards the couches covering pizza boxes as everyone else laughing as he tripped and began to sing to stop himself from swearing.

"Nice save Rick" she commented, watching as he put the pizzas down and stared across at her, a sad smile covering his face before he walked over and gently kissed her. "What was that for?" she asked gently when she pulled away and stared at him, ignoring the many disgusted noises the children and the two cops were making.

"Can't I just kiss you?" he asked as she shrugged.

"You normally have a reason though" she admitted as he took hold of her hand and gently kissed her knuckles.

"Maybe I should just kiss you sometimes because I want too" he commented as confusion covered her face before she realised there could only be one reason for this.

"What the hell happened with Gina today?" she asked, her arms crossing as he groaned, knowing that he couldn't get away from it. "Did something happen between you two Rick?" she questioned as he groaned and looked across at Lanie who nodded slowly, indicating that it was okay for them to go and talk while she watched the three kids who were currently eating the pizza he'd bought. Leading Kate towards his office, the writer sighed as he shut the door and watched as she began to pace up and down the room.

"Katie" he whispered.

"Is something going on between you and Gina?" she asked as he groaned.

"For god's sake Kate when are you going to start trusting me?" he screamed as she stared at him. "There is nothing going on between Gina and I or Madison and I or any other flaming woman on the planet but you" he declared as she stared at him.

"I don't believe you" she whispered as he watched her in confusion.

"What? Kate there's nothing going on, I don't even know what gave you the idea" he declared as she wrapped her arms around her chest and stared at him. "I kiss you and you immediately presume that I'm cheating, Kate I kiss you all the time".

"But you always have a reason, you never just do it" she muttered as he shook his head.

"I kiss you all the time just because I want too Kate" he declared as he walked closer to her. "I kiss you all the time because I love you and I'm completely crazy about you Katie" he smiled as his fingers ran across her cheek. "You need to start trusting me Kate because otherwise this is never going to work".

"I do but sometimes I just worry, I'm sorry" she whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck as he held her close, knowing that he needed to tell her the truth behind why he kissed her.

"There was a reason behind why I kissed you" he admitted as she nodded slowly. "I kissed you because I wanted to get as many kisses in before I go" he explained as confusion covered her face.

"Go?" she asked.

"Kate, I have to go on a book tour in two weeks for two months" he admitted as shock covered her face.

**Please review, especially with this chapter because I want to know how the feel about it and most of all I just want to know that you're still enjoying it. **

**Thank you all you amazing people out there. **


	14. Chapter 14

"Two months?" she asked as he nodded silently and watched the shock cover her face as she stared at him. "You're going for two months" she whispered as he nodded again, not knowing what to say to her. He knew she'd hate the decision but they'd talked about their work and this was part of his job and it had to be done! "I don't want you to go Rick, I don't want you to go away" she mumbled, his arms tightening around her as she buried her head into his chest and felt the tears run down her cheeks again.

"I know you don't sweetheart but it's the job and we both have to sacrifice things Katie for work even when we don't want too" he muttered into her hair as she remained perfectly still for a moment, not wanting to move out of his arms. "I'll call every night, it'll be like the good old days when we first started dating" he explained as she stared up at him and smiled weakly. "Remember when we called every night, hoping that your father wouldn't notice" he muttered against her lips as she nodded and gently kissed him.

"Who's going with you then?" she asked as he groaned. "Gina is going isn't she?" the brunette moaned as he nodded gently and sighed, entwining his fingers with hers as she buried her head into his chest again.

"Katherine Beckett, the wonderful love of my life, you have to start trusting me because you're the only woman I want" he smiled as she stared at him in shock. Lifting her into his arms, Rick smiled as she stared at him and watched as he carried her towards the couch. "I promise you, Gina is nothing to me. I don't want to spend my life with her, I don't even want to spend a night with her because she isn't you" he declared as he gently pressed a kiss to her forehead, then both her cheeks and finally on her lips. "I love you" he whispered.

"I love you too and I'm sorry for being emotional tonight" she declared as they sat together on the couch, arms wrapped around each other as they relaxed. "I know I need to trust you Rick, I am going to work on it and deep down I know that you're only interested in me but it's the other women I don't trust" she explained as the writer stared at her. "I don't trust Gina or Madison or any of the other women who fling themselves at you" the brunette admitted as he moved her so her head was resting on his lap.

"I promise Kate, you're the only on the whole planet who I'm interested in" he declared again, hoping that if he said it a million times then she would begin to believe it. "Come on we have a little girl out there who has probably just realised that we're missing" he stated as he stood up and helped pull her off of the couch before leading her out of the room towards to couch.

"Daddy we saved you some pizza" Alexis smiled as she watched her father sit down in the armchair and pulled the brunette onto his lap before nodding at his daughter and reaching across for the pizza box Alexis was pointing at.

"Thanks pumpkin" Rick smiled as the redhead nodded.

"Can we go and play in my room for a while daddy?" Alexis asked as she looked across from Paige to Ashley as the writer nodded and smiled, watching as the three children ran towards the stairs and disappeared before Rick looked across at the three adults who were finishing off another pizza.

"So what happened with you two?" Lanie asked, earning a nudge in the ribs from Javier who glared down at her. "What? I'm allowed to ask, they don't have to answer" the medical student moaned before elbowing him back; the two of them continuing it before it went too far and Kevin ended up being hit.

"Guys grow up, Esposito you're supposed to be a cop" Kevin moaned as Javier laughed, Kate and Rick smiling as they watched their friends.

"So are you Ryan so man up" Javier teased before throwing a cushion at the other man who glared across at him before rolling his eyes.

"Guys, I already have three children upstairs, I don't need three more" Rick teased as Kate cuddled up in his arms; Lanie watching her friend as she took in how weak Kate seemed. "One day they'll grow up" the writer smiled at her as she nodded.

"I hope so" Kate whispered before kissing him gently. "I love you" she whispered quietly so only he could hear before he smiled and nodded, gently kissing her again before she relaxed back and watched her friends for a moment before yawning.

"Why don't you go up to bed?" he asked as she shook her head.

"It's Alexis' party" she moaned as he shrugged.

"And she's busy and would understand, go and get some sleep, you haven't stopped working Kate" he declared as she nodded and stood up, smiling across at her friends.

"I'll see you guys later, thank you for coming tonight. It means a lot to Alexis" she smiled, moving towards her bedroom as Lanie stood up and stared at her. "Everything okay?" Kate asked.

"Actually, could I talk to you?" Lanie smiled as Kate nodded and walked towards her bedroom with her friend. Entering the room, the brunette slowly sat down as the medical student stared at her. "What's going on with you and Rick?" Lanie asked.

"Nothing's going on" the cop lied as Lanie crossed her across her chest and glared at her friend.

"Katherine Beckett don't lie to me" she warned. "Since I've known you you've never been that cuddly with writer boy" she explained as Kate shut her eyes and groaned. "Do you want to tell me?" she asked.

"He's going on a book tour for two months" she admitted as shock covered Lanie's face. "We had a fight because I thought he'd been cheating on me with Gina and he admitted that he was actually going on a book tour" she explained as Lanie sighed. "I don't want him to go Lanie" she whispered as the medical student stared at her.

"Why don't you want him to go?" Lanie asked as Kate shut her eyes.

"The last time he went away mom died and we've never been apart since, I don't know whether I'll be able to…" she began before falling silent.

"Able to what?" Lanie questioned.

"I don't know whether I'll be able to cope Lanie. Rick's always there, he stops me from doing too much work or being stupid, he makes sure that I eat every meal and he makes the nightmares go away. I don't want to imagine what I'll turn into when he's gone" she admitted as tears ran down her cheeks.

"You'll be fine, you coped when you were training" Lanie muttered.

"That was different, he came to see me every weekend, we spent weekends together Lanie" Kate admitted as he held her close to him. "When he goes away we won't get that" she muttered as she lay down across the bed and shut her eyes. "I hate being weak but Rick's the constant being in my life, he makes sure everything is okay".

"Get some sleep, you're tired and you're not thinking straight" Lanie whispered as Kate nodded and reached across for the blanket and buried herself underneath it. "You'll be fine when Rick's gone, you'll be perfectly fine because we're all going to be here for you" the medical student whispered as she stood up and walked out of the bedroom, turning when she reached the door to see Kate lying perfectly still in the middle of the bed.

"Everything okay?" Javier asked as he noticed Lanie walk towards them.

"I just never realised how lost she was Javi" she admitted as Rick stared at her in confusion, not understanding what she was saying as Lanie moved to sit beside the cop who tightly wrapped his arms around her as she shut her eyes.

**It's a short chapter but I wanted to get it up. I'm also not too sure about Kate in this chapter but this is how it came to me and well, it's a story so it's allowed to be slightly OOC at times. **

**Hopefully I'll have the next chapter up tomorrow! **

**Please review, your response has been amazing so far and I just love hearing what all of you have to say. **


	15. Chapter 15

Feeling him move in bed, Kate sighed as she turned her body and tightly wrapped her arms around him as he laughed gently and tightened his own grip of her body; his lips gently pressing a kiss into her hair as she rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes, knowing that it was nearly time to say goodbye.

"I wasn't leaving yet" he whispered as she nodded slowly, knowing that he wasn't preparing to say goodbye. "I don't need to get up for another hour" he admitted as she clung onto him, hating the idea of him leaving her. Hearing a gentle knock at the door, both adults sighed as they watched the door slowly creak open before Alexis popped her head through the gap; both Kate and Rick laughing gently at her messy red hair and her arms that were wrapped tightly around the bear Kate had given her. "Good morning pumpkin" Rick smiled as Alexis slowly walked over, watching as Rick pulled the blanket back to indicate that she could join them.

"Morning daddy, morning mommy" she whispered as she climbed onto the bed and cuddled up against her father as Kate silently smiled at her; still attempting to wake up completely. This was the last time they would be a little family again for two whole months. "When do you leave daddy?" the redhead asked as she stared at her father who shut his eyes and groaned; Kate laughing gently as she pressed a kiss to his cheek and stared across at their little girl.

"In an hour and a half sweetheart, Gina's coming to get me" he admitted as both Kate and Alexis groaned.

"I don't like Gina" Alexis stated as shock covered the two adults faces. "She looks at you daddy in the way mommy does" the redhead explained as Kate's eyebrows rose before she looked across at the writer who sighed.

"But do I look at her in the same way I look at mommy?" Rick asked, attempting to prove to Kate that he only wanted her.

"No, you look at her like she's horrid daddy and you never listen to her" the redhead muttered before shutting her eyes and cuddling up beside him as Kate smiled at the writer who stared at her with a small grin covering his face.

"So?" he asked.

"Shut up Rick" she laughed gently before kissing him and sighing.

"Do you have to go daddy?" Alexis asked as he nodded and tightened his arms around her small body; not wanting to leave his girl. He'd spent hours discussing it with Kate whether Alexis would come with him on the tour or stay in New York with the cop and in the end they'd agreed that it would be better for Alexis to say in the city and go to school. "You'll call every single night and read me a story like Katie did when she was training" Alexis stated as he smiled and nodded, quickly pressing a kiss to her cheek as she giggled lightly.

"I will but you have to be a good girl for mommy" Rick stated as Alexis nodded, her smile growing as Kate smiled across at the redhead who was already staring at her. "She's going to need you to look after her, you have to make sure that she eats breakfast and if she doesn't you have my permission to tell her off" he teased as Kate rolled her eyes and gently hit his shoulder. "What was that for?" he asked.

"I don't need our daughter to look after me" she smiled as Alexis stared at her before yawning. "You need to sleep little one, it's still early and you have school today" Kate commented as Alexis groaned and shook her head, not wanting to go to sleep when her father was leaving. "Come here you, you're exhausted" Kate smiled, watching as the redhead climbed over her father and cuddled up between them both before Kate tightly wrapped her arms around her. "I'll wake you up when daddy starts to get ready" Kate mumbled into her ear as Alexis nodded and shut her eyes.

"I hate leaving you both" the writer admitted when Alexis' breathing began to calm down. "Why did I agree to this Kate? Why did I let myself do this?" he asked as she smiled at him weakly and looked down at Alexis who was fast asleep between them.

"Because you have too, it's your job and your fans deserve to see you and you love seeing them and knowing that people take pleasure in your work" she whispered as he nodded and stared up at the ceiling for a moment. "I'll call you every night, we'll discuss everything and you can tell me the all the people you've met and all the stupid things they say to you sometimes and also all the kind and wonderful comments they make about how your books got them through the worst times in their lives" the brunette commented as he remained perfectly still; not knowing what to say. "Like they did for me Rick".

"And here I was thinking that I got you through the worst time in your life" he whispered as she sat up and leant across to kiss him gently, attempting to avoid the sleeping child as she stared down at him. "I love you Katherine" he mumbled.

"I love you too Mr Castle" she admitted as he watched her slide out of the bed and smile at him.

"Where are you going Katie?" he asked as she held her hand out in his direction and watched as he took hold of it and climbed out of the bed before his arms tightly wrapped around her and his lips found hers. "Where are we going?" he commented as she began to lead him out of the room.

"To cuddle on the couch, Alexis is fast asleep and I'll wake her up while you're in the shower so she can get ready to for school and have breakfast with you" she explained as he nodded and quickly found himself with her lying across to the couch with their arms wrapped around each other. "Tell me some of the places you're going" she whispered as he sighed.

"We're going back to Miami, we're staying in the same hotel as well. I'm going to miss you like crazy if we're in the same room" he declared as she smiled, remembering his last book tour where she'd gone to surprise him and ended up finally having sex with him as well. "We're also going to Washington and some other places, everywhere you can think of we'll be going there probably, I really wasn't listening to Gina when she told me".

"You really do need to learn how to listen Rick, one day you might miss something important" she laughed as he shrugged and kissed her gently; not wanting to let her go.

"You won't shut people out while I'm gone will you?" he asked as she shut her eyes. "Go out with Lanie, have them over for dinner, and take Alexis to the museums when you're free. You need to have some time to relax and if I find out that you've been over working Kate I'll be on the first plane home" he warned as she gently kissed his lips and sighed.

"I won't overwork Rick" she whispered gently as he smiled and shut his eyes, holding her close to him as she relaxed back.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

"Alexis sweetheart" Kate whispered as she sat down beside the redhead and ran her fingers across Alexis' cheek as the small girl moaned and pulled the blanket over her head. "Lex, your daddy is in the shower so you need to wake up" Kate stated, laughing gently when the redhead immediately sat up and found the blankets falling down. "Come on, you need to get dressed and I need to make breakfast" the brunette stated as the redhead nodded and climbed off the bed before running out of the room. Hearing the shower running, Kate smiled as she slowly sneaked into the en-suite to see him standing in the shower.

"Pervert" he smiled as he turned to face her and smiled as she shrugged and moved towards the door. "Is Alexis getting ready for school?" he asked as Kate nodded and sighed, watching as he turned the show off and stepped out to wrap a towel around his body before kissing her gently. "You need to get ready for work" he commented.

"I know" she moaned, walking out of the en-suite with him before approaching her wardrobe and pulling out her uniform.

"Are you sure you're okay dropping Alexis off at school?" he asked as she nodded and removed her pyjamas before putting her underwear off as the writer watched in amazement. "Naked Kate, I like naked Kate" he smiled as she rolled her eyes. "I'm going to miss naked Kate" he admitted as she stared at him before pulling her uniform on and moved towards him to gently kissed him before walking out of the room. Finishing dressing, the writer sighed as he stared across at his bedroom and smiled at how much the room had changed since his last book tour. His old wardrobe was open and full of Kate's clothes and images of Kate, Alexis and him were covering the walls and surfaces and their clothes were thrown across the floor. His life had defiantly changed over the past years and he couldn't help but love it! Walking out of the bedroom, the writer smiled as he watched Kate pouring orange juice in the kitchen while Alexis sat patiently with a bowl of cereal in front of her.

"Do you want some toast or something Rick?" Kate asked as she finished preparing the toast she was making for herself. "You can't go away without having breakfast first" she explained as he laughed, noticing how domestic she'd become as she poured him a mug off coffee and passed it to him.

"Daddy you moan that mommy doesn't eat and you're not having breakfast" Alexis stated before returning to her breakfast as Kate smiled at the redhead before looking across at the writer who nodded slowly and watched as she passed the prepared toast to him.

"Isn't this yours Kate?" Rick asked as she shrugged. "Half and half Kate?" he suggested as Kate smiled and nodded, taking half of the toast from him before sitting down and eating what she'd taken from him a second ago. "So what are you doing in school today Lex?" Rick as ked as he stared at his daughter who shrugged.

"I don't know daddy, I haven't been yet" she laughed as he laughed gently before pressing a kiss into her hair and eating his breakfast. Hearing the doorbell ring, Rick sighed as Kate dropped her slice of toast and stared up at him; knowing that it would be Gina. Walking towards the front door, Rick sighed as he opened the door to reveal the blonde who was already staring at the watch on her wrist.

"Good morning" Gina stated as she entered the apartment and looked across at the brunette and redhead who were silent in the kitchen. "Richard we need to go in exactly a minute so say your goodbyes and get your ass downstairs" the blonde warned as Kate looked across at Alexis whose face was already covered in sadness. Approaching his daughter, Rick sighed as he tightly wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

"Look after mommy for me" he whispered into her hair as she nodded carefully, burying her head against his chest as he held her close. "I love you pumpkin" he stated as he pressed a kiss into her hair before feeling Alexis move away slightly.

"I love you too daddy" Alexis admitted before Rick nodded and moved towards Kate who slowly wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

"Richard ten seconds" Gina screamed as Kate groaned and looked across at her.

"Gina just shut up for a minute or go and wait somewhere else where we don't have to see you" the brunette warned as shock covered both the blondes and Rick's face. "I love you" Kate stated as she ran her hand to Rick's cheek and gently kissed him, not caring that the blonde publisher was glaring at her from the living room. "I love you Rick" Kate mumbled against his lips before they began to kiss again.

"I love you beautiful" Rick stated as he moved away slightly and pressed a kiss to her forehead before looking across at Gina who was tapping her watch. "I have to go Katie" he whispered as Kate groaned and held onto his hand for a moment. "I'll call you the moment I land I promise" he stated as Kate nodded slowly and kissed him quickly before watching as he walked away and grabbed his case before waving at them and walking out of the apartment with the blonde.

"Come on sweetheart, we need to get you to school" Kate explained as the redhead nodded and grabbed her bag before looking across at Kate who placed the gun in the holster and sighed before taking hold of Alexis' hand. "I'll come and get you this afternoon so try and have some fun" Kate explained as they walked out together.

XOOXOXOXOXOXOXO

"I love you sweetheart and I'll see you this afternoon" Kate whispered as she knelt down in front of Alexis and gently pressed a kiss to her cheek before Alexis hugged her. "Where's that smile of yours?" Kate asked as Alexis laughed and watched as the smile grew on Alexis' face before Kate smiled and wrapped her arms around the redhead again. "Have a good day" the brunette whispered to her as Alexis nodded and saw Ashley walking over with his father.

"Ashley, hello" Alexis squealed as Kate stood up and smiled at the older man who was approaching her.

"You're a cop, I never would have guessed" he admitted as Kate smiled and nodded, quickly looking down to see Alexis smiling at Ashley.

"Why don't you two go in? We don't want you to be late now do we?" Kate smiled as both children nodded before Alexis tightly wrapped her arms around the brunette before walking off with her friend.

"So where's Richard? He usually drops Alexis off at school" he commented as Kate sighed and thought about how he was probably in the car pretending to listen to his publisher.

"He's on a book tour for two months so you'll be seeing me a lot more" she admitted as he nodded and smiled.

"That's not a bad thing" he smirked as she rolled her eyes at his comment. "You're a beautiful woman Officer" he admitted as she took a step away from him.

"I'm also a woman in an extremely serious relationship Mr whatever your last name is because you haven't even told me your name" she explained as he laughed at her gently before watching as she walked away.

"Where are you going? We could go for a coffee or something, get to know each other better" the man suggested at Kate rolled her eyes and stopped.

"Look I don't care what's going on but I can see that you've just removed your wedding ring and let me tell you, I love my boyfriend and I'm not going to ruin my relationship with him to even spend a second in the company of a man who is cheating not only on his wife but his son who is best friends with my daughter" she blurted out as shock covered his face at the fact that she'd noticed his missing wedding ring. "Also I have a serious job that I need to get to so it would have been a no to your coffee even if I was desperate" she stated before walking away from him.

**So what do you think? **

**Once again I can't help but thank you for your amazing response to this story! I love reading every single one of your reviews and I can't wait to see what you think about this chapter as well! **

**THANK YOU!**


	16. Chapter 16

"Alexis if we're not out of the door in two minutes, we're both going to be late" Kate screamed up the stairs before biting into the piece of toast she was eating between shouting up at her daughter who was running late again. "Alexis Castle get your butt down here right now otherwise we'll be even later than we were ten seconds ago" Kate warned, smiling when the redhead ran down the stairs and smiled at her. "You haven't even brushed your hair yet Lex" the brunette groaned as she led the redhead towards the couch and quickly ran the hairbrush through her hair before tying it back from her face; knowing that Alexis hated having it down while she was trying to concentrate at school. "Out the door now, we need to speed" Kate smiled as Alexis nodded and walked towards the door.

"I shouldn't have slept in Katie, I'm sorry for making us late today" Alexis mumbled as Kate sighed and stared down at the redhead before kneeling down in front of her.

"Sweetheart, it's okay to oversleep sometimes. Now why don't we go and get you something special for breakfast on the way to school?" she suggested as Alexis nodded and smiled when Kate gently pressed a kiss to her forehead before standing and taking hold of her hand. "What do you fancy today? Maybe I could treat you to a bear claw today?" she asked as Alexis nodded and smiled up at her before they entered the elevator and sighed for a moment, allowing the rush and stress to finally stop.

"Did daddy call last night after I went to bed?" Alexis asked as Kate shook her head and sighed, knowing that he'd probably been exhausted and a good reason for not calling especially since he'd called every other day of the first week of him being gone. "He'll call tonight won't he mommy?" the redhead asked as Kate nodded, not knowing completely whether he would call her or not. "I miss daddy, I wish he was here" the six years old admitted.

"I miss him too sweetheart but we're doing okay, without him, aren't we sweetheart?" she asked as Alexis nodded and walked out of the lift with her before they left the building and slowly walked down the street together, hands holding onto each other's tightly. Entering the small coffee shop, Kate sighed as she ordered a coffee for herself and two bear claws before looking down at the small girl. "Here we go, breakfast for my favourite redhead" the brunette whispered as she passed the bear claw to the little girl before leading her out of the coffee shop.

"Thank you mommy" Alexis smiled as Kate relaxed and walked down the street slowly with her.

"Remember that your gram is picking you up from school this afternoon and I won't be home till later but I'll bring Chinese home with me tonight, my treat especially for my little girl" Kate explained as the redhead nodded and tightly wrapped her arms around the cops hips before sighing.

XOXOOXXOXOOXO

Entering the precinct silently, Kate smiled at the sight of Javier sat in her chair spinning around for a moment before stopping when he noticed her standing staring at him in confusion. Walking over, she quickly knocked her hand on the back of his head before laughing at him, taking in how childish he was acting.

"Out of my chair Esposito" she warned, the man nodding as he sat down and watched as she sat down and groaned before glaring up at him. "Esposito" she whined as he stared at her in confusion, not knowing what he'd done. "You've messed around with my chair, it's in a stupid place now" she stated as he laughed and watched as she moved it down again before relaxing back and shutting her eyes for a moment. "Where's Royce?" she asked.

"He just got called into a meeting, he was moaning because you were late this morning" he admitted as she groaned and nodded. "So why were you late today Officer Beckett?" he asked.

"Alexis over slept this morning so we were in a rush, I even bought her a bear claw for breakfast. Rick would kill me if he found out I bought her a bear claw for breakfast instead of something decent" she admitted as he nodded and sighed, knowing that Kate had been desperately attempting to be the best cop and mother she could be in the last week.

"You're allowed to make mistakes sometimes Kate, you're attempting to do two difficult things at once to the best of your ability so you're allowed to do something's wrong at the start" he stated as she sighed and finished the coffee she'd brought earlier. "The whole point about making mistakes is to learn from them and Alexis will understand that" he told her as she continued to stare at him.

"I just don't want to fail Alexis when she needs me but I don't want to fail my…" she began before falling silent, knowing she could discuss these things with Javier because he understood. He understood what she was feeling because he'd lost someone and justice wasn't done for them either.

"Your mom would be so proud of everything you've achieved so far Kate, don't be too harsh on yourself. You're doing a great job at everything you're trying" he explained before standing up and sighing. "I better go" he stated as she nodded and watched as he walked out just as Royce began to walk towards her.

"Nice to see that you've turned up this morning Beckett, so shall we get on with some work?" Royce commented as she groaned, knowing that he wasn't going to let it go as she stood up and followed him to his desk. "So paperwork until something comes through" he declared as she nodded and bit into her lip. Noticing the action, the detective sighed as he watched her for a moment. "What's wrong kid?" he asked carefully, taking in how nervous she looked.

"Royce if I wanted to find an old file where would I go to get it?" she asked as confusion covered his face at the random question. "I've meant to ask before but I kept forgetting too because other things came up" she lied, knowing that she'd been trying to find the courage to ask him where she could find the file where her mom would be buried, forgotten.

"Downstairs in the records room of course, it's quite easy to find a file as long as you know the case number" he stated as she nodded slowly and watched him for a moment.

"What if you didn't know the case number but the name of the victim instead?" she asked as he quickly explained it to her, the brunette nodding as she took in everything he was saying to her before looking towards the elevator. "So what paperwork do I need to do?" the brunette smiled as he stared at her before patting the pile of files in front of him as she nodded slowly and took them off his desk before carrying them over to her desk.

"How's Alexis doing?" he asked a few seconds later as she smiled gently at the mention of her daughter.

"She's okay, she misses her dad but we're doing alright so far. It has only been a week though out of two whole months" she explained as he nodded slowly and stared at her, watching as she looked at the picture of her family that was on the desk. It was one of her favourites. Rick was beside her with his arms wrapped around her while Alexis was stood in front of them with her tongue stuck out.

"Well she has you" Royce smiled as she nodded. "And you're doing a great job with her kid; I see the way you light up when you talk about her. She means a lot to you" he admitted as Kate nodded and laughed gently.

XOXOXOXOXXO

"Royce I'm taking my lunch break" Kate stated as the man murmured in agreement, not looking up from his work as she walked towards the lift and sneaked into it; breathing out as she thought about what she was doing. Was she really going to find her mother's file? Was she really going to read all the information that the cops had on her mother's murder and attempt to find somewhere where it had gone wrong? Hearing the elevator stop, Kate sighed as she walked out of the metal box and towards the record room, knowing that she was closer than before. Slowly approaching the room, the brunette sighed as her hand moved towards the handle and took hold of it. She could do this. She could do this!

"Beckett" a voice said behind her, forcing her to turn to see Royce walking towards her. "Whatever you're looking for will have to wait" he explained as confusion covered her face.

"How did you know?" she asked.

"I guessed" he muttered as she slowly nodded and walked towards him. "You have visitors" he explained as Kate stared at him in confusion before entering the lift again, watching in annoyance as the doors shut across her few of the room. She'd been so close. "You can come back another day you know? It's not going anywhere" he smiled as Kate nodded slowly and watched as the doors opened again to reveal Martha standing by her desk while Alexis was curled up in the chair.

"What's going on?" Kate asked as Martha sighed.

"She started vomiting in school, they didn't have a number to get hold of you so they called me but I have my rehearsal in twenty minutes and…" the older woman panicked as Kate slowly knelt down in front of the little girl and ran her fingers to Alexis' pale cheeks.

"Look at you, you look so tired" Kate mumbled as tears ran down Alexis' cheeks. "Hey why are you crying? You don't need to cry" the brunette whispered as Alexis slowly wrapped her arms around Kate's neck and Kate slowly lifted her into her arms. "Look, you go to your rehearsal" she told Martha as the woman stared at her. "I'll talk to Royce about getting time off, I'm sure he'll understand" Kate explained, looking across at the man who was watching her who slowly nodded and smiled at her weakly.

"Thank you darling" Martha smiled as she pressed a kiss to Kate's cheek before looking down at her granddaughter. "Relax sweetheart, your mommy is going to take really good care of you" Martha smiled, pressing a kiss into Alexis' hair before she walked out of the precinct and towards the lift. Watching as Royce walked over, Kate sighed as he smiled at her before nodding.

"Take her home, she needs you" he explained as Kate mouthed thank you and quickly walked towards the elevator, desperately wanting to get the redhead back to bed. Hearing the elevator stop a floor before hers, the brunette sighed as she watched the doors open and Javier walk in.

"Hey, what's Lex doing here?" Javier asked as Kate sighed.

"She got sick at school" Kate muttered as the man groaned and stared at her. "I didn't drive today" she moaned, remembering that she'd walked to the precinct after dropping Alexis off at school.

"Come on, I'll drive you home" he stated as Kate thanked him quickly and allowed him to lead her out of the elevator towards his car. "You're not having much luck today are you Kate?" he sighed as she shook her head, smiling at him as he opened the car door for her so she could carefully place the redhead in the back seat before closing the door and climbing into the front with her friend, knowing that she was lucky to have people like Javier to support her.

XOXOXOXOXOO

Dialling the number the writer had told her, Kate sighed as she stared across at the bed where Alexis was curled up in the middle of the bed with the blanket wrapped around her and her arms tightly wrapped around Kate's bear. Hearing the ringing stop, Kate smiled as she waited for him to respond.

"Hello" Rick whispered as she smiled weakly.

"Hello, it's me" she smiled as she heard a small laugh down the line from the writer. "Alexis is sick and I thought you could talk to her, she misses you" the brunette explained as the writer sighed. "We both miss you Rick" she added as he sighed and remained silent for a moment. "I know you're probably busy but she really wants to talk to you and she's really sick" Kate declared.

"Of course I'll talk to her, she's my baby" Rick smiled as Kate sat down on the edge of the bed and smiled at the redhead who groaned gently.

"Daddy's on the phone sweetheart" she mumbled, watching as the redhead smiled weakly and took the phone from her slowly.

"Hello daddy" Alexis whispered as Kate lay down beside her and gently ran her fingers up and down Alexis' arm for a moment, unable to take her eyes off the redhead who was listening to her father for a moment. "Mommy is looking after me really well daddy" Alexis muttered as Kate smiled at her and gently pressed a kiss to her cheek, not knowing what else to do. "I'm going to try and sleep now daddy, do you want to talk to mommy?" she asked before nodding and passing the phone to the brunette before cuddling up against her and shutting her eyes.

"Hey" Kate smiled.

"Hello beautiful" Rick declared as she rolled her eyes. "So what's going on in New York? What's going on with my little family especially?" he asked as Kate sighed and ran her fingers through Alexis' hair as she fell asleep slowly.

"Things have been good Rick but this morning was a nightmare though, I don't think I've ever been this stressed. Alexis overslept and we literally just made it to school on time although I was late for work" she declared as he laughed gently, enjoying hearing her voice again. "Why didn't you call me last night?" she asked, her voice sounding weak as he sighed.

"I had to go to this party thing with Gina, I didn't get home until it was too late to call you" he told her as she sighed and shut her eyes. "I miss you like crazy, I miss you both so much" he stated as she nodded, wishing more than ever that he was with them especially with Alexis being ill. "You'll look after our baby won't you?" he whispered.

"Already am Rick" she smiled, looking down to see her fast asleep with her head on Kate's chest. "She's fast asleep Rick, she's absolutely exhausted the poor thing. I've never even seen her looking this sick before Rick and she's been ill a couple of times and badly" she laughed gently, taking in how peaceful the little girl looked even though her face was pale and her arm was still clinging onto the bear.

"She's lucky to have you in her life Katie, we're both lucky to have you in our lives. You make our lives fantastic" he stated as she sighed. "I can't wait to come home Katie, I just want to cuddle up with you and my little girl and do something together. No one else but us three for a whole evening, maybe even a whole weekend alone" the writer declared as she smiled, enjoying the idea of being alone with him; not caring about anyone or anything else. Just of the three of them alone as a family. "How's work?" he asked.

"I wouldn't know Rick, I was hardly there today" she admitted as he sighed.

"I'm sorry" the writer muttered.

"It's no one's fault, Alexis is sick, she can't help needing someone to look after her and your mother had her rehearsal so she couldn't look after her. Royce is fine with it" she stated as the writer nodded slowly before looking across the room to see Gina staring at him, her finger tapping against her watch again.

"Kate I've got to go, the wicked witch is tapping her watch meaning I need to start moving" he moaned as Kate bit into her lip to stop herself from laughing at his comment.

"It's fine Rick, thank you for talking to her, she needed to hear from you because she's missed you so much" Kate admitted as they both fell silent for a moment. "I love you" the brunette declared as he smiled.

"I love you too Officer" he smiled as she sighed. "I really have to go now, I love you and I'll call you later" he declared before hanging up, the brunette slowly putting the phone down before she relaxed with her daughter in her arms.

"Daddy loves us so much Lex" Kate whispered gently before shutting her eyes, enjoying the warmth of Alexis in her arms. "And I love you so much sweetheart, I love you so much" the brunette admitted before she sighed, knowing that she should sleep while Alexis slept so she could be awake later for her.

XOOXOXOXOXOX

"How's she doing?" Martha asked as she entered the apartment to find the brunette sat on the couch while the younger redhead had her head on Kate's lap while she slept peacefully. "She still looks pale" she commented.

"She's not doing any better but Rick called earlier which cheered her up for a while, she's basically just been sleeping all afternoon" she admitted as the older woman nodded and walked towards the kitchen to make a cup of tea.

"Do you want a cup of tea Kate? You look like you could do with a drink" Martha asked as Kate nodded and smiled across at her, grateful that the older woman had returned home.

"How did the rehearsal go?" she questioned.

"Perfectly Kate, nearly everything went right so thank you for asking darling" the redhead explained, pouring the two drinks before carrying them over and passing one to the brunette. "You'll have to come and see it when it opens next week Kate" she admitted as the cop nodded. "It's about a detective, you should invite your friends to come and see it as well. I can get you all tickets" she explained as Kate nodded.

"That sounds great Martha, thank you" Kate declared before taking a sip of her tea. "This is the best cup of tea I've had in a long time".

"It's a mothers magic" she declared as Kate nodded slowly, knowing that the redhead was right.

**We've made it over two hundred reviews! I'm amazed at how wonderful your response has been and I can't wait to hear what you think about this chapter! **

**Also there's something I want to clear up- there will be no cheating in this story. There may be fights and ups and downs but I promise that Kate and Rick will be completely faithful to each other so hopefully that clears up any worries you have. **


	17. Chapter 17

**This chapter is dedicated to everyone who has reviewed, added this as a story alert or a favourite story. Also this is dedicated to Laura, my unofficial BETA and the person who puts up with my constantly writing ideas and questions on what you all want as readers! **

Finishing her shift, Kate sighed as she stared up at the clock to see that it was an hour before she needed to pick Alexis up from school. Pulling her jacket on, Kate smiled as she walked towards the elevator and quickly entered it the moment the doors opened. She could do this! She was going to do this! Stepping out of the lift a few moments later, Kate slowly walked towards the records room and pushed the door open to find filing cabinets against every wall. Doing what Royce had told her, she slowly walked through until she found the correct section and opened the drawer to find a section of files.

"Where are you?" Kate whispered gently as she flicked through the sections before falling silent, not knowing what to say as she found her fingers across the folder with her mother's number on it. Lifting it out of the collection, Kate sighed as she bit into her lip and slowly carried it over to the table at the end of the room; shock covering her face as she opened it and found a picture of her mother staring at her. "Mom" Kate mumbled, tears filling her eyes as she flicked through the contents to find herself staring at images of the crime scene and also her mother's post mortem pictures. Feeling vomit rise in her system, Kate groaned as she reached across for the bin and found herself burying her face into the bin just in time. "Get it together Kate" she moaned as she relaxed back in the chair and just stared at the file for a moment.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Reading the notes, Kate sighed as she looked at her watch and felt the shock cover her face as she took in the time.

"Shit" she screamed, realising that she was supposed to pick Alexis up ten minutes ago. Closing the file, she quickly slid it back into the place it belonged before shutting the door to the cabinet and running out of the room towards the elevator, knowing that Alexis was going to be furious when she turned up. Stepping out of the elevator a few moments later, Kate groaned as she began to run down the street, glad that the school as close to the precinct as she turned the corner and found herself on the right street. Approaching the school, Kate sighed as she found herself staring at Alexis who was stood beside Ashley and his father. "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry sweetheart" Kate whispered as she wrapped her arms around the redhead who held her close. "I was working and things got really busy" she lied as the redhead remained close to her.

"Busy working Officer?" Ashley's father asked as Kate groaned, not wanting to talk to him right now.

"Yes" she stated before looking down at Alexis. "Why don't we go home and get ready for grams play and call daddy before we leave?" Kate asked as Alexis nodded and took hold of her hand. "Thanks for keeping an eye on her for me" she stated before leading the redhead away as Alexis waved across at her friend. "Javier, Kevin and Lanie are coming with us tonight, we're all going out for dinner before the play" she explained as Alexis smiled weakly. "I'm really sorry baby; I didn't mean to be late. It won't happen again sweetheart, I promise".

"It's fine mommy" Alexis whispered as Kate sighed before they both fell silent today.

"I have something special that you can wear tonight" the brunette explained as they arrived at the apartment building.

"What is it mommy?" Alexis asked as they entered the elevator together, Kate smiling as she looked down to see excitement covering the six years old face. "Please tell me" the redhead begged as Kate laughed and shook her head.

"You'll see it in a minute sweetheart, you have to be patient" Kate declared, leading the six year old out of the lift as Alexis began to smile properly, watching as Kate unlocked the front door and sighed.

"Can I see it now mommy, please?" Alexis asked as Kate nodded and walked towards her bedroom before disappearing, reappearing a few moments later with a small box in her hand. Kneeling in front of the redhead, Kate smiled as she held the box out in her hand and watched as Alexis slowly took it and untied the ribbon around it.

"This was mine when I was younger Lex, I saved up for it for weeks by cleaning my room and washing the car just so I could earn the money for this" Kate smiled as she watched Alexis lift out the necklace and smile at it before throwing her arms around Kate's neck as the brunette smiled. Moving away, Alexis slowly slipped the necklace back into Kate's hand and turned, allowing Kate to slowly fasten the necklace around her neck before Alexis sighed and moved away from her. "Right go and change for tonight, everyone's going to be here in an hour and I need a shower" she explained.

"What do I do after I've gotten dressed?" Alexis asked as Kate smiled and gently pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"You do your homework until everyone arrives and we leave" Kate muttered as Alexis smiled and ran up the stairs, a small laughing leaving Kate's lips before she shook her head and entered the bedroom. Removing her uniform quickly, Kate sighed as she began to approach the en-suite, stopping when the phone began to ring. Walking over, the brunette sighed as she lifted it up and relaxed. "Hello" she answered.

"What are you wearing?" Rick asked as she laughed and stared down at the underwear she was only wearing.

"Only a few scrapes of black lace Rick" she muttered as he groaned. "I need to have a shower before everyone arrives so you might want to call back later tonight at maybe eleven pm New York time" she declared as he moaned again, desperately wanting to talk to her.

"I should just leave you alone" he muttered, shock covering her face as she took in how miserable he suddenly sounded.

"What's wrong?" Kate asked, sitting down on the bed as she felt the worry build up inside her. "Rick talk to me, nothings more important that you" she whispered as he sighed and looked across his hotel room to see Gina standing on the phone shouting at someone. "Rick?" she asked.

"I want to come home" he stated as she shut her eyes, hating how depressed he sounded after only being away for two weeks. "I shouldn't have said yes to this Kate, I just want to come home to you guys. I want to have a cuddle with my daughter, I want to moan at my mother for living in my apartment and most of all I want to hold and kiss and make love to you" he declared as she sighed.

"Are you moaning because you're horny Richard?" she asked as he groaned.

"No, well a bit, but I just miss you all so much. I hate this tour Kate, I have to be up at seven every morning and Gina then drags me to breakfast then we go to an interview with some newspaper or magazine and then there's a book signing and then we go to another interview with someone and have dinner before going to another press event or party or something annoying like that. I'm exhausted. Don't even get me started on when we have to fly" he moaned as she sighed and tried to think of something to make it better.

"What would you say that when you go to Miami Mr Castle, I maybe turn up and lie on your hotel bed in hardly any clothing and we make brand new memories in Miami whenever you're free" she suggested as shock covered his face.

"I would really like that" he declared as she laughed gently and sighed. "Are you really going to come to Miami?" he asked.

"I'll try, I'll need to get a Friday and a Monday off with Royce so we can have a long weekend and I don't know whether he'll agree because I'm hardly there at the moment but I promise that I'll try and come to Miami" she declared as excitement covered Rick's face. "Are you happier now?" she asked.

"Defiantly Kate, I feel a lot better now" he stated. "You'll tell Alexis that I love her and I'll talk to her later" he explained as Kate nodded.

"Of course I will" she stated before looking across at the en-suite. "I love you Rick and I miss you but I really need to get ready because everyone's going to be here soon and I need to shower, change and do all my make-up" she explained.

"Why? You don't need make-up, you're stunning naturally although you are also beautiful with the make up on" he announced as she smiled weakly at his comment. "I love you so go and get ready and have a great time tonight" he stated as she smiled and stood up, still holding the phone to her ear.

"I'll talk to you later, I'll call you the moment I'm home" she smiled before they both said goodbye and she put the phone down, knowing that she needed to get dressed quickly.

XOXOXOXOXOX

"Katherine Beckett hurry up, I'm starving and you're taking forever" Lanie screamed down the corridor as she waited with Kevin and Javier while Alexis continued to do her homework. Hearing the door slam, Lanie smiled as she turned to see Kate walking down the corridor as Kevin and Javier both wolf whistled at her as Kate rolled her eyes at them. "You look amazing Kate" the medical student smiled as she stared at the one shouldered red dress Kate was wearing while her hair was curled and pinned back away from her face. Walking over, Alexis smiled as she wrapped her arms around the brunette and smiled.

"You look really pretty mommy" Alexis whispered as Kate beamed and stared down at her for a moment.

"Thank you sweetheart so do you, you look really beautiful" Kate admitted as she took hold of Alexis' hand and smiled as Kate stared at her deep green dress before looking across at the two men and Lanie.

"Food now, I'm starving" Lanie moaned as she walked towards the door and opened it, both Kate and Alexis laughing as they followed her out of the apartment and towards the elevator.

XOOXOXXOXOXO

"Javier that's disgusting, don't teach her that" Kate moaned as she watched the man who was attempting to each Alexis a variety of ways to eat curry. "She has a knife and fork for a reason, she's going to use it like the rest of us" she stated as Esposito groaned while Alexis giggled.

"You've gotten me in trouble" Javier moaned as he stared down at the six year old and stuck her tongue out at him. "Eating curry with your hands is traditional in India, they eat with their hands and the Chinese eat with chopsticks and I know for a fact Kate that we all eat Chinese with chopsticks so why not eat it in the traditional method?" he stated as Lanie rolled her eyes while Kate continued to glare at him.

"Because it's disgusting and messy" she argued as he nodded. "Javier, you're a grown man. Just eat the meal traditionally and don't argue because otherwise you'll be going home while we all go to the theatre" Kate stated as Javier, Kevin and Lanie stared at her in shock. "What?" she asked.

"You sounded so much like a mom then Kate" Kevin commented as she shook her head before thinking about what she'd just said, shock covering her own face.

"Oh my god I sounded like a mom" she declared as everyone laughed at her reaction except for the redhead who was continuing to eat her meal silently. "And a bossy mom as well" she added as everyone continued to smile before returning to their food.

"Javier stop throwing pieces of poppadum's at me otherwise mom here we'll ground us both" Kevin moaned as Kate groaned and glared at them both.

"You two are so unbelievably annoying" Kate moaned before standing up. "Excuse me" she stated, walking away from the table as Lanie stared at the two men who were laughing beside her.

"You two are so childish, Alexis is more mature than you two" Lanie muttered.

"You know you love my childish side Lanie" Javier commented.

"No Javi, I put up with your childish side, there's a difference" she smiled as Kevin bit into his lip to stop himself from laughing at the couple's interaction.

XOOXOXOOXOXOOO

"I found them" Kevin called out as he walked down the aisle and pointed at their seats, Kate laughing as she walked over to him while Alexis continued to cling onto her hand. Moving towards the final seat available, Kevin sighed as he sat down and looked across to see a petit blonde sat silently beside him alone. "Hi" he declared as she beamed at him.

"Hi" she whispered before they both fell silent. "I'm Jenny" she introduced as she held her hand out.

"I'm Kevin" he smiled, shaking her hand quickly before she laughed gently and stared at him before watching as Alexis ran over and jumped into the seat beside him.

"Do you have a daughter Kevin?" Jenny asked as she watched the redhead for a moment before staring at the three other adults who sat down next to him.

"No, no she's not my daughter, she's my friend's daughter and the granddaughter of one of the actresses in the play" he admitted as shock covered her face again.

"Which one?" she asked quietly as he looked across at Alexis before returning to look at Jenny, wondering whether telling this woman about Martha would change anything. "You don't need to tell me Kevin, I understand that some people want privacy especially in that sort of business" she declared as he nodded slowly. Watching as the room began to darken, Kevin laughed as Jenny smiled at him for a moment before focusing on the stage where the production was beginning.

XOOXOXOXOXOXO

"What do you think about the play so far sweetheart?" Kate asked the redhead who was sat beside her. "Are you enjoying it pumpkin?" she questioned as Alexis nodded in agreement.

"Yes, it's one of my favourites. I like the detective" the redhead admitted as Kate nodded, wrapping an arm around her daughter as she looked across to see Javier and Lanie making out while Kevin and the blonde he'd just met talked to each other. "Everyone has a partner Katie" Alexis commented as confusion covered Kate's face. "Lanie has Javier and Kevin has the pretty blonde woman but you don't have daddy right now" the redhead explained as Kate shut her eyes for a moment.

"Your daddy might not be with me right now in person Lex but he's in here" Kate explained as she rested her hand over her heart. "Because I love him and he loves me and that doesn't change, no matter where we are" she admitted as the redhead smiled at her before nodding.

"I hope that one day someone can love me as much daddy loves you" she explained as Kate gently pressed a kiss to Alexis' forehead.

"Of course someone will love you as much as your daddy loves me, you're beautiful, clever and a wonderful little girl and you're going to be an amazing woman one day" the brunette stated as Alexis smiled and cuddled up beside her, Kate's arm wrapping tightly around her shoulders as Kate looked across to see Kevin laughing at something the blonde had said.

"So what do you do?" Kevin asked when he recovered from laughing at her joke.

"I'm at college at the moment" she admitted as the cop nodded. "What about you? What do you do?" she asked as he bit into his lip. "Come on, you must do something".

"I'm a cop" he explained as shock covered her face.

"That's so cool" Jenny smiled as he felt himself relax as the room began to darken again to indicate that the second act was going to start in any minute. "Kevin" she whispered as he nodded slowly as the silence began to fill the room.

"Yes Jenny" he responded.

"Can I have your number after this?" she asked, his smile growing as he looked up to see Martha walking across the stage.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

"Look at Kevin" Kate smiled as she stood beside Lanie and Javier, who was holding a half asleep Alexis, as they all watched the man smile beside the petit blonde. "He looks so happy, it's nice to see him happy" the brunette explained as the couple began to approach them slowly.

"Guys, this is Jenny" Kevin introduced as everyone smiled at her. "Jenny, this is my friend Javier, his girlfriend Lanie, our friend Kate and Kate's daughter Alexis" the cop explained as the blonde nodded and smiled at them all.

"It's nice to meet you all" Jenny admitted as they all nodded, except for Alexis who was practically asleep against Javier's shoulder. "Look Kevin, I need to go, I have an early lecture tomorrow morning but I'll call you" she declared as he nodded and smiled as she gently pressed a kiss to his cheek before waving at them all and leaving the building.

"She's cute" Javier commented as Kevin nodded. "You going to start dating again Kevin?" he asked as Kate groaned.

"Javi" Kate warned.

"I don't know, she seems nice and I'd like to get to know her better, even if it didn't lead to a relationship" he explained as Kate nodded and sighed. "I guess we should go and see the drama queen" he declared, everyone nodding as they waked out of the building and towards the back where they'd agreed to Martha.

"Hello darlings" the older redhead smiled, falling silent when she noticed her sleeping granddaughter. "I was worried that she'd be tired" she admitted, resting her hand on Alexis' back for a moment before looking across at Kate.

"She made it through the whole thing, she loved it Martha, she absolutely adored it. We all did" she explained as Martha nodded.

"Congratulations Martha it was amazing" Lanie stated as Javier and Kevin nodded. "I think tonight went really well" she admitted as everyone nodded again. "Dinner went well, if you forget Javi's childish behaviour when it comes to curry, the performance went perfectly and Kevin gave his number to a girl. So tonight was extremely successful" she smiled as shock covered Martha's face before she laughed.

"The theatre is a place to meet wonderful people" she commented before sighing. "Are we going to head home?" she asked as they all nodded.

"Look give her here Javier, you should go home" Kate told Javier as she held her arms out for the six year old.

"Kate it's fine, I can drop you home on the way to Lanie's" the man told her as she smiled and thanked him before relaxing.

"I'll see you guys soon, we should do something like this again, it was fun" Kevin declared as they nodded, watching as he walked off in the direction of his apartment while they walked in the opposite direction towards Javier's car.

XOXOXOXOXO

Entering the apartment, Martha smiled as she held the door open and watched as Kate carried Alexis in and smiled at her before walking towards the stairs and disappearing with the younger redhead. Slipping into Alexis' room a few moments later, Kate sighed as she slowly rested the redhead on the bed and began to remove her shoes.

"Sweetheart you need to wake up for a second so you can get into your pyjamas" Kate muttered as Alexis groaned and shook her head. "Come on sleepy head, you need to change your clothes" she stated as Alexis slowly opened her eyes and groaned before reaching under her pillow to take out her turquoise pyjamas. Helping the redhead out of the dress, Kate smiled as Alexis changed quickly and yawned before relaxing back in bed. Pressing a kiss to her head, Kate sighed as she stood up and watched as the redhead buried her face into the pillow. "I love you pumpkin" Kate declared before she turned the light off and walked out of the room. Hearing Martha in her bedroom down the corridor, Kate sighed as she slowly walked down the stairs and walked towards her own bedroom; knowing that she wanted sleep and most of all wanted to phone her boyfriend. Changing into her pyjamas, Kate sighed as she sat down on the edge of the bed and dialled Rick's number before relaxing back against the headboard, listening to the phone ring.

"Richard Castle" Rick stated as Kate laughed gently.

"Hey" Kate smiled as he breathed out, glad that it was her. "I just got back for your mom's opening night, it was amazing. She was absolutely stunning Rick, it was defiantly one of my favourite performances" she explained.

"That doesn't surprise me" he muttered as Kate rolled her eyes. "Anything interesting happen while you were out?" he asked.

"I don't even know where to begin" she explained before laughing. "Kevin met a girl" she blurted out.

"Finally" he laughed.

**So what do you think? **

**Thank you once again for your amazing reviews; I really can't believe how fantastic you all are! So thank you for being amazing and please continue to review, I love every comment and they really do get me through my failure of exams! **


	18. Chapter 18

"What do you mean she didn't turn up? She finished almost six hours ago, I was talking to her when Royce said she could go home for the day" Javier asked as he sat by his desk with the phone pressed against his ear. He'd been planning to leave when the actress had called him stating that Kate hadn't turned up for Alexis' school event where Alexis was giving a speech after promising the redhead that she would be there. "I'll have a look for her if you want, Royce might know where she is" he stated as the redhead relaxed slowly.

"Thank you Javier, I really do appreciate it. I'm worried and Alexis is worried even though she won't admit it right now" Martha whispered down the phone before she said goodbye and put the down as the cop groaned and watched as Royce walked past him.

"Royce" Javier called out as the older man turned to look at him. "Have you seen Beckett recently?" he asked. "She hasn't returned home yet" he explained as Royce sighed.

"Not since she left but she probably went down to the record room, she's been sneaking down there when she thinks no one is looking" the man shrugged before walking off as Esposito groaned and walked towards the elevator, knowing exactly what the brunette was looking at. Entering the lift, he felt his nerves build up as he watched the sign go down before the doors opened and he walked towards the record room. Pushing the door open, Javier sighed as he found Kate curled up by the desk with her head resting on the file while she slept, a small smile covering his face as he walked towards her and gently rested his hand on her shoulder.

"Kate" he declared as he nudged her gently, laughing when a small groan left her lips. "Kate, it's Javi, you were supposed to be home almost six hours ago" he declared, watching as Kate sat up and groaned, covering her face with her hands as she felt the tears run down her cheeks. "Hey what's wrong?" he asked, reaching across to shut her mother's file before he gently pressed a kiss to her cheek.

"I missed it didn't I? I missed Alexis' speech" she sobbed as the cop slowly nodded and watched as she shut her eyes. "Shit, she's going to kill me, shit" she mumbled.

"I'm sure Alexis will understand Kate" he whispered as she shook her head and allowed the tears to run down her cheeks.

"She really wanted me there; she wouldn't even let me read what she'd written because she was so desperate for it to be a surprise. I promised her Javi, I promised her that I would be there and I fell asleep. I fell asleep after trying to do this" she declared, staring across at the shut folder of her mother's case as he stood up and watched her as she ran her fingers through her hair and continued to swear at herself.

"Come on, I'll drive you home and you can grovel" he declared, resting a hand on her shoulder as she stood up and took hold of her mother's file, knowing that she needed to put it back. "Kate you need to remind yourself that this is in the past and you have an amazing life now" he whispered as she nodded and tightly wrapped her arms around him, knowing that she needed to hug someone. "Come on, you need to get home to your little girl" he explained, leading her out of the room after she put the file back.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Entering the apartment, Kate sighed as she heard Alexis sobbing upstairs before something hit the floor; confusion covering her face as she walked further into the building and found herself watching as Alexis threw everything she'd ever given her downstairs. Watching as the bear her own father had given her hit the floor, Kate felt the shock cover her face as the button eyes fell off the bear before she looked up to see the redhead glaring at her, watching as Kate slowly took the bear into her arms while clutching onto its lost eyes in her fist.

"Alexis I'm sorry but that's no reason to do this, this is stupid and childish and you're not like that" Kate announced as Alexis glared at her before throwing a piece of paper down at her. "Alexis" Kate warned.

"You promised, you promised that you would be there momm… Kate" Alexis screamed before disappearing as Martha walked out of Rick's office and watched as Kate broke down, sitting down on the floor carefully as the older redhead slowly walked over and sat down beside her, not knowing what else to do but wrap her arm around the teenager who was sobbing almost silently.

"I fell asleep Martha, I'm sorry" Kate admitted. "I was looking at mom's case and I fell asleep, I told myself I would be there for a few hours and then I would be back in time but I haven't been sleeping well and…" she sobbed as Martha held her close as she remained silent, knowing that the brunette already felt guilty enough.

"Let me have a look at this" Martha sighed as she stared at the bear, watching as Kate slowly passed the bear to her before allowing her to take the buttons from her hand. "This will be easy to repair darling, come on" the redhead declared, confusion covering Kate's face as she followed Martha upstairs before entering the older redhead's bedroom before she watched Martha open a drawer and take out a sewing kit. "While I fix this Kate, I would suggest reading Alexis' speech before talking to her" Martha advised.

"Where is it?" Kate asked.

"She threw it at you" Martha smirked as Kate nodded and slowly walked out of the room and down the stairs, collecting the piece of the paper from the floor before she sat down on the couch and sighed, staring down at the text as tears filled her eyes.

_My inspirational person is my mommy. She's not my real mommy because I didn't come from her stomach but she's still my mommy because she loves me. My mommy is a cop; she chases bad guys to stop them from doing bad things and hurting them. Even when she has to work she always makes time to come home and spend time with me and my daddy and she makes us all smile. My mommy is inspirational because she doesn't put herself in front of anyone and she is the most unselfish person in the world. _

"Oh Lexi" Kate whispered as she slowly looked up at the stairs before standing and thinking for a moment, knowing that the six year old was angry and felt betrayed. Slowly walking up the stairs, Kate approached her daughter's bedroom before knocking on the door and sighing as she listened to the sobbing from within the room. Pushing the door open, the brunette stared at her daughter, who was lying on her bed sobbing, for a moment before walking towards her and sitting down beside her. "I read your speech" she declared as Alexis remained silent. "Thank you sweetheart, it was an amazing speech, I'm sorry I missed it" the brunette admitted, lying down beside Alexis as she sighed.

"Why didn't you come? You promised" Alexis asked through the tears.

"I was looking at my mom's case sweetheart and things got emotional and I wore myself out, I fell asleep and before I knew it Javi was waking me up to tell me that I missed it and I cried sweetie because I really wanted to go tonight" Kate explained as tears filled her own eyes as the redhead turned to look at her before wrapping her arms around her mom as they both silently cried. "I really did want to come tonight baby, I wanted to sit there and listen to your speech and clap at the end of it but I'm still so proud of you" Kate explained, pressing a kiss into the redhead's hair before holding her close, not wanting to let her go. "I'm sorry".

"It's okay mommy" Alexis whispered. "I'm sorry for breaking your bear" she admitted as Kate shook her head.

"Your gram is fixing it for me Lex, it's going to be fine sweetheart" she muttered as Alexis nodded slowly. "I'm so sorry for missing your speech sweetheart, the next time your school does something I will be there clapping my hands like a crazy person" she joked, kissing the redhead's head gently before tightening her arms around her as the door opened and Martha walked in with the bear in her hands. "See your gram fixed it" Kate muttered as Alexis looked up and held her hands out for the bear.

"No more throwing it down the stairs, it's old and needs to be looked after Alexis" Martha warned as Alexis nodded, smiling when she took hold of the bear and cuddled it close to her chest as Kate laughed and wrapped her arms around him. "I'll leave you two alone" the redhead whispered, walking out of the room slowly before Kate looked down at the redhead in her arms.

"I was thinking that maybe next weekend we could go to my dad's cabin" she suggested as Alexis stared up at her in confusion. "You and me, your gram, my dad, Lanie, Javier and Kevin for the whole weekend together" she explained as the redhead nodded and smiled, excited about the idea of going away.

"I'd like that mommy, I'd really like that" Alexis admitted before shutting her eyes. "I wish daddy could come with us though, he would love that mommy" the redhead mumbled as Kate nodded slowly, wishing that the writer could come with them as well. "I'm sleepy" she whispered as the brunette smiled at her.

"I'll let you sleep; I'll be downstairs if you need me. I'm going to call everyone and discuss this" she declared as Alexis nodded, yawning as Kate stood up and slowly walked out of the room, still feeling extremely guilty for what she'd done and what she'd missed.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

"What do you mean you're all going away for a weekend break? I want to come too" Rick moaned as Kate relaxed back against the headboard and laughed, holding the phone against her ear as she listened to him moan for a while. "Kate I want to come with you" he whined.

"I want you to come with us but you're on your tour" she stated as he groaned again, a small giggle leaving her lips as she listened to him. "I upset Alexis today" she admitted as they both fell silent, the writer knowing that she wouldn't want him to interrupt as she attempted to explain. "I was doing some work and I fell asleep, I missed her speech about me" she explained as Rick sighed. "She started throwing things".

"Alexis was throwing things?" he asked.

"She was furious with me Rick but we talked and had a cuddle and we're doing okay" Kate admitted as he sighed. "I really wanted to be there Rick and I missed it and I hate myself for it, I never seen her so angry before" she stated, tears running down her cheeks as the writer sighed, knowing that the brunette was upset.

"Kate everything's going to be fine" Rick whispered as she nodded to herself, desperately attempting to cheer up. "She still loves you, she might have been angry but she loves you and that's stronger than anything else" the writer declared as she looked across at the family picture on the bedside table. "I hope you have an amazing time Katie on your holiday, I would do anything to be there with you".

"I know you would" she whispered before she heard Gina scream Rick's name. "The wicked witch is calling you Rick" Kate moaned.

"I know Kate, you're still planning on coming to Miami aren't you?" he asked as Kate nodded.

"I'm planning on it although it's not arranged yet but I'm going to try and be there Rick. I'm going to be there in Miami and we're going to make love every night and I'm going to be there for every single event that you have when I'm there" the brunette explained as the writer smiled at the idea.

"You're going to come to every event?" he asked.

"I'm going to be at every event Rick, I don't care about the press anymore Rick" she announced as he felt the shock covering his face. "Rick you've only gone for a couple of weeks and all I can think about is you. I don't care about book tours and the press and everyone talking about us because I love you. One day Rick I'm going to be your wife and everyone is going to talk about us and there are going to be rumours about marriage problems and affairs and pregnancies and I can't wait because we'll fight it all together" she explained as confusion covered his face.

"Are you feeling alright Kate?" he asked as she laughed.

"Yes, I'm emotional and upset and exhausted and I miss my boyfriend and all I want is a massive Castle cuddle and maybe a few rounds of desperately needed sex but I'm fine Rick, I'm fine" she admitted as he smiled. "What events do you have in Miami?" she asked.

"Why?" he questioned.

"I need to buy appropriate clothes" she teased. "I can't let my boyfriend down by looking stupid".

"You never look stupid, you're gorgeous and sexy and perfect, no matter what you're wearing" he smiled. "Are you really going to do all of that to be with me Kate?" the writer asked as she nodded, amazed that she was agreeing to it.

"Yes because I love you" she stated before looking across at herself in the mirror. "I love you Rick and I'll see you in Miami".

"I'll see you in Miami" he repeated, already smiling at the idea of seeing her again, already knowing that Miami wouldn't be soon enough.

**What do you think? I don't like this chapter very much but it's up to you. Do you like it or don't you? **

**I'm planning on updating again tomorrow with a chapter I think you will all love but it depends on the amount of reviews again! I have become a terrible person who has turned to blackmail in order to make myself feel better through your reviews! **

**Thank you! **


	19. Chapter 19

"It hasn't changed much dad" Kate laughed as she climbed out of the car and stared at the cabin in front of her, her father shrugging before he moved to unlock the doors while Kate helped Alexis out of the car and watched as everyone walked out to join her. "It's not like we're staying inside anyway" she stated as confusion covered everyone's face. "Well dad and Martha are staying inside but the rest of us are camping out" she smirked, watching the horror that quickly covered Lanie's face while excitement covered Javier's, Kevin's and Alexis'.

"Actual camping?" Lanie asked as Kate nodded. "You mean camping outside on dirt?"

"You scared Lanie?" Kevin teased as the woman glared across at him, quickly shutting him up as Kate rolled her eyes and smiled down at Alexis who was clinging onto her hand. "It'll be fun Lanie, the great outdoors but still having the luxuries of the real world inside" he explained as Kate nodded, glad that she hadn't told Lanie about this before she'd decided to come on the trip.

"You can't be afraid of dirt Lanie anyway, you're going to be buried in peoples stomach stuff and blood and yuck" Javier commented, Kate's hands immediately covering Alexis' ears when she heard the word buried.

"Mommy I can still hear" Alexis laughed as Kate shook her head and leant down to press a kiss to the redhead's forehead. "Lanie, why would you want to be buried in people's stomachs?" Alexis asked as Kate and Lanie both glared at Javier who quickly raised his hands up in surrender and walked off to join Jim before he could say anything else.

"Don't worry Lex, I'll tell you when you're a bit older and you won't want to vomit afterwards, you need to be a little bit older to know what I'm doing properly" she explained as the redhead nodded slowly while Kate laughed gently. "So camping" Lanie sighed, clearly not as excited as everyone else about the weekend.

"You'll enjoy it Lanie" Kate promised, watching as Alexis ran over and shouted boo behind Javier and Kevin, both men jumping as everyone else laughed at them. "Wimps" Kate smiled at them as they glared across at her. "Come on, we need to get the tents up before it starts getting dark and we have to do it without being able to see" she ordered as everyone but Lanie cheered and approached the bags full of tents. Finding the instructions, Lanie groaned as she read them for a moment before staring up at everyone.

"It would be easier if these were in English rather than tent language" Lanie joked as Javier smiled and took them from her, knowing he would probably have more of an understanding because he'd gone camping a lot as a child. "So remind me again, how is this fun?" Lanie asked.

"Because we're spending time together as our messed up family" Kate stated as Alexis nodded and cuddled into her side for a moment as Kate gently ran her fingers through the redhead's hair. "Now tents, who can read tent language?" Kate teased as Lanie glared across at her before laughing along with everyone else.

XOXOXOXOXOX

"I think we did a good job with this" Kate smiled as she stared at the three tents that were now stood up around the cabin while Alexis cuddled into her side as Kate ran her fingers through the six year olds hair.

"I'm thinking barbecue, who wants a barbecue tonight?" Jim asked as he walked out of the building, Kate nodding as she looked at everyone who was nodding in agreement at the idea. Watching her father walk away, Kate sighed as she looked across to see Javier with his arms tightly wrapped around Lanie who was smiling at something he said. Shutting her eyes for a moment, Kate sighed as she felt Alexis let go of her before she opened her eyes and looked across to see the redhead running off to join her grandmother.

"Kate are you okay?" Kevin asked.

"I'm fine" she whispered. "Excuse me" she mumbled, walking off slowly as everyone watched her for a moment. Looking down at Lanie, Javier as he smiled at his girlfriend who nodded, knowing that he wanted to go and find Kate and talk to her.

"Go, I know you want too" she stated, the man nodding as he gently pressed a kiss to her lips before walking off in the direction that Kate had disappeared. Sighing when he found the brunette sat down on the floor under a tree, Javier watched as Kate wrapped her arms around her knees before sobbing almost silently.

"Hey" he whispered, shock covering her face as she looked up at him, her hands quickly attempting to wipe the tears away. "I already saw you crying so don't try and pretend that you weren't" he stated as she laughed weakly and watched as he sat down beside her. "Want to tell me what's going on with you?" he asked.

"Nothing" she whispered as he crossed his arms and stared at her. "Everything's crazy at the moment, things are still tense with Alexis, mom's case is getting to me and well, I really want Rick home" she declared as his arm slowly wrapped around her, bringing her close for a hug. "I sound so weak right now but I just want Rick to come home and stay home" she stated, hating herself for sounding so pathetic.

"You don't sound weak; you sound like someone who is in love with a person who has gone away. I would probably be doing the same with Lanie, although don't tell her that because she would never let me forget it" he stated as shock covered Kate's face.

"You love Lanie?" she asked as he shrugged.

"She's funny, smart and gorgeous; she's my ideal woman Kate. How could I not been in love her?" he smiled as she laughed gently and nodded.

"Does she know?" she questioned, his head shaking quickly, not surprising her because Lanie would have probably been on the phone shrieking the moment she found out. "Are you going to tell her?" she quickly added.

"At some point yes but I'm not going to rush it, I like where we are thank you" he explained as she sighed and stared out across the view in front of them, a small smile covering her face at the familiarity of it. "Things with Alexis will calm down soon and Rick will be home before you know it, you just have to be patient KB" he explained after a few moments of silence.

"KB?" she asked.

"I thought it sounded a bit cooler than calling you Kate" he declared as she rolled her eyes before laughing. "KB, I kind of like that. I think that might stick" he smirked as she glared at him, already hating the new nick name. "Come on KB, let's see what people are cooking" he declared, her eyebrows rising before he stood up. "Come on… KB" he smiled.

"That's it" she screamed, climbing off the floor before chasing him down the path and past the tents where everyone was standing watching the two officers in amusement.

"And Beckett is back" Kevin stated as Lanie nodded slowly, knowing that the man was right!

XOOXOXOXOX

"Javi you look like a vampire" Lanie commented as she watched the tomato sauce run down her boyfriend's face as he shrugged. "It's not cool" she added as Kate rolled her eyes at her friend's seriousness.

"Lanie you need to relax" Kate sighed before staring down at the salad Lanie was eating. "And you need to eat more" she added.

"Don't get her started on food please, I don't need to hear this again" Javier moaned as Lanie glared across at him while Kate stared at him in confusion. "She's got it into her head that she needs to lose four stone" he explained as shock covered Kate's face at the idea. "I've already tried telling her that she's gorgeous but no, no one listens to the boyfriend who knows her body better than anyone else" he declared, lifting his hands in surrender as Kate looked across to see Alexis watching them in confusion.

"Javi little ears are around" Kevin warned, looking across at the redhead who was sat opposite him, completely distracted by the food in front of her.

"Sorry" he whispered, looking across at Kate who nodded and sighed. "But she is being stupid with this diet idea" he declared.

"Javi shut up" Lanie hissed.

"What? I love you for who you are Lanie right now, you don't need to change for anyone because you're perfect" he declared before falling silent as shock covered the medical students face at his admition.

"You what?" Lanie asked.

"I…" he began as Kate looked down at her food, knowing that it wasn't how the cop had planned to tell his girlfriend that he loved her. "I…" he attempted again before sighing and shrugging. "I love you Lanie Parish" he smiled as she bit into her lip before squealing and kissing him quickly as Alexis groaned.

"Eww" the redhead muttered as Martha and Jim laughed at the six years old reaction. "Disgusting" she whispered as Kate smiled and gently pressed a kiss into her daughter's hair.

"You're not just saying it to stop my diet, are you?" she asked.

"No, I'm too scared to lie to you woman" he stated as everyone laughed before Lanie hugged him. "You are crazy for trying to lose four stone though" he whispered, her fist quickly hitting his chest as everyone smiled, the whole group falling silent when they heard a couple of twigs crack behind them.

"Any chance you have a room for another person?" a voice asked as a figure slowly approached them.

**The next chapter follows straight on from here so please tell me what you think and I shall try and update as soon as physically possible. **

**I finish my exams on Tuesday so I have nothing else to think about for three weeks except story, story, story! **


	20. Chapter 20

"Daddy" Alexis screamed as she climbed off the floor and ran into her father's arms as Kate remained perfectly still, shock covering her face at the sight of him. "You're here daddy, you're really here" the redhead smiled as Rick held her close for a moment, enjoying having the six year old back in his arms.

"I'm here baby" Rick muttered before looking across at everyone else but Kate. "Hi" he smiled as everyone nodded waved, his focus slowly moving to the brunette who was perfectly still, unable to think of anything to say as he slowly approached her and found his lips with his. "I'm here Kate, I'm here" he mumbled, shocked when her arms tightly wrapped around his neck as she began to sob into his shoulder. "Let's go for a walk, we need to talk" he mumbled as she nodded and stood up, her fingers entwining with his as he excused them and led them away from the group.

"How are you here Rick?" Kate asked when they were away from everyone else. "You're on tour, you're supposed to be away, you're supposed to be smiling and laughing with your fans while signing books. You're not supposed to be here with me, with us" the brunette blurted out as she clung onto his hand, hoping that if she continued to hold him the idea of him being here wouldn't disappear. "Thank you for being here" she declared before kissing him quickly as a small laugh left his lips.

"Gina has some family problems going on so we had to come back for the weekend and fortunately for me it was the same weekend as your little break away to your father's cabin" he admitted as she nodded slowly, the two of them sitting down under a tree as they continued to hold onto each other's hands. "I called your dad earlier and he gave me the address and well here I am, with you Katherine" he stated as she nodded and curled into his side, burying herself in his warmth as he tightened his grip around her. "For the whole weekend" he added before he kissed her again, her fingers running through his short hair as he continued to kiss her.

"Thank you for coming Rick" she mumbled, a small smile covering her face as she stared at him for a moment before her hand moved to rest against her cheek. "I've missed you, I've missed you Rick" she admitted as tears filled her eyes, his head shaking as he leant up to gently press a kiss to her forehead.

"Don't cry sweetheart, I'm home" he explained as he tightened his arms around her and pulled her onto his lap as she continued to sob. "You're making Lanie camp?" he asked as Kate nodded, a small laugh leaving the writers lips as Kate rested against him. "What's carved in that tree?" he asked, noticing the initials that were carved into the tree opposite them.

"My mom and dad came here on their honeymoon. They didn't have much money as they'd spent most of it on the wedding so my mom could have her dream day so instead of having a big holiday abroad they came to my granddad's old cabin" she admitted as Rick nodded slowly. "They carved their initials in the tree because it would be there forever and then two years after that my mom brought my dad back here and told him that she was going to have me" she admitted as Rick nodded and stared at her.

"We should do that" he declared.

"What?" she laughed.

"I don't mean on the same tree unless you wanted too but we should do that, make a reminder of our relationship for the world to see" he explained as she nodded slowly, already liking the idea of having her own initials next to his. "Have you got a knife on you?" he asked as she shook her head. "Stay here, your dad will have one. He's one of those people who would have that sort of thing" he explained, moving her off his lap before he stood up and disappeared quickly. Standing, Kate slowly approached the tree and ran her fingers across her mother's initials before sighing when she heard a twig snap behind her.

"Did you find one Rick?" Kate asked.

"Yes" he stated, walking over to her before his arm wrapped tightly around her hips. "Where do you want to do this?" he asked as she sighed.

"I want to do it here" she explained, pointing at the space beneath her parents markings. "It would be like a strange family tree" she admitted, his smile growing at the idea before she quickly wrapped her arms around him and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "You might want to do it before we run out of light Rick, otherwise you won't be able to see and knowing you you'll cut your hand open" she laughed as he nodded and moved closer to the tree, her eyes completely focusing on what he was doing as he hummed while working. "Is this real or am I dreaming?" she asked.

"It's real, I'm here Kate" he declared, finishing her initials before he moved onto his. Remaining silent as he finished working, Kate watched in amazement as he stepped away from the tree to reveal their own marks on the tree. "What do you think?" he whispered.

"It's perfect Rick, thank you" she whispered before kissing him gently. "If we weren't sharing a tent with your daughter this weekend we would be doing something strictly for people age eighteen and over" she whispered as he groaned and kissed her gently, not knowing what else to do. "However, dad is planning on taking Alexis out fishing and the others will probably go with him so we could have the place to ourselves" she teased as he nodded and kissed her again before taking hold of her hand.

"We should get back before you turn me on anymore Kate and I have to do things with you right here" he laughed as she nodded and kissed him gently before they began to walk back towards the cabin and tents. Seeing everyone else, the brunette sighed as she saw that everyone else was in their pyjamas.

"I'm going to go and change into my pyjamas" she admitted, leaning up to kiss the writer quickly before she disappeared into the cabin as everyone sighed.

"Rick, can I talk to you for a minute?" Javier asked as the writer nodded in confusion, watching as this time the cop led him away from the group. "It's about Kate" he explained as Rick nodded slowly, knowing he didn't have a complete understanding of what had been going on with his girlfriend while he'd been away.

"What about her Javier? Has something happened?" Rick asked.

"She's becoming obsessed with her mother's case" Javier admitted as the writer nodded slowly. "I was talking to Royce and she's been sneaking down to the records room whenever she has a free moment and it's not the nicest file to look at. Kate's been staring at her mother's autopsy photos for hours and the crime scene and she probably knows every report by heart now" he stated as Rick groaned, already knowing that this would happen from the day Kate decided she wanted to be a cop. "She's falling asleep down, she overworks sometimes by a good four or five hours, she's been late for picking Alexis up a couple of times now" he stated as Rick nodded slowly, knowing that Javier was suggesting that he talk to her.

"I'll talk to her about it tomorrow" he muttered as the man nodded.

"Thanks, I know she'll listen to you" Javier stated before they walked back towards the cabin to find that everyone had disappeared into their tents. Saying goodnight, the writer watched as Javier disappeared into one of the tents before the writer looked at the two that were left. Which one was his?

"We're in here Rick" Kate stated before unzipping the door and smiling at him as he nodded and crawled in to join her to see Alexis already curled up in her sleeping bag while Kate held their book in her hands. "You're just in time writer man, Alexis wants you to read to her tonight" the brunette explained as Rick nodded and took the book from her before sighing.

"I've missed this, I've missed story time" he admitted as both Kate and Alexis nodded before relaxing back in their respective beds. Reading the book in his hands, Rick watched as his daughter slowly curled up like she usually did and began to fall asleep as he read aloud each page that was in his hands. Shutting the book when it was clear that Alexis was asleep, the writer turned to see Kate curled up in the double sleeping bag with a small smile covering her face. "Can I join you in there Miss Beckett?" he asked.

"I'd like that" she admitted, watching as he removed his jeans and climbed into the space left in the bag. Reaching out, Kate sighed as she turned the torch off and found the whole tent filling with darkness as the writer wrapped his arms around her. "I love you Rick" Kate whispered.

"I love you too beautiful" he replied before kissing her gently and relaxing. "I've missed this".

"I know, I've missed you too Rick" she sighed as they both fell silent. "The bit I missed most was waking up with someone in the morning and falling asleep with someone in the evening" she declared as he nodded in agreement. "I never want to go that long without seeing you again, it's been hell" she stated as he laughed.

"I agree Kate; we're never doing this again. I can't cope without you in my life every day, phone calls aren't enough anymore" he declared, holding onto her hand as they remained under the warmth of the blanket. "The next book tour is either being cancelled or I'm dragging you along with me" he announced, kissing her again as she laughed and rested her head into his shoulder, desperately wanting to fall asleep in his arms. "You're tired, go to sleep" he whispered as she sighed.

"But I don't want to waste the time I have with you Rick" she admitted as he laughed, kissing her quickly before his arms tightened around her.

"You're not, we're still together even if we're asleep or awake Kate" he stated, her eyes shutting as he began to hum a song gently, knowing that it would help her get the sleep that she desperately needed. Listening as her breathing calmed, Rick looked down to see her fast asleep in his arms while her head remained buried against her chest. "I'm not going to let you get lost Kate, I'm not going to let you get lost in her case" he promised before shutting his own eyes, knowing that he had to keep her safe.

Especially from herself!

**So Rick's back for a little visit and he wants to know what you all think and so do I so please review and I will see you all with the next chapter of this story, whether that be up tomorrow or whenever! **

**THANK YOU FOR BEING AMAZING REVIEWERS! THIS STORY WOULDN'T BE AS GOOD AS IT IS WITHOUT YOU ALL BEING THE INSPIRING AND WONDERFUL PEOPLE THAT YOU ARE! SO THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU WHETHER YOU'RE A READER, REVIEWER, STORY ALERTER OR SOMEONE WHO ADDS THIS TO THEIR FAVOURITES! **


	21. Chapter 21

**I'm not determined to dedicate chapters to people because I feel like you all deserve something for taking the time to write a review. So this chapter is dedicated to Extraordinarily Extraordinary who has written me loads of amazing reviews so thank you and I hope you enjoy this chapter. **

Feeling his fingers run across her bare back, Kate couldn't help but smile at the writer who was just holding her silently in his arms while they lay in her old bed inside the cabin. After everyone had left to go fishing, they'd found themselves quickly making out beside the tent before deciding to do it properly and rushing inside the cabin, throwing their clothes off as they approached her bedroom. Leaning up, Kate gently kissed the man who was lying beside her before she sighed and shut her eyes, enjoying the smell of sex that covered both their bodies.

"We need to talk about something" he whispered as she groaned, not wanting to ruin the moment. They were together and everything was perfect and she didn't want anything to ruin that for her. "We need to talk about what's going on with you" he declared as her body tensed. What was going on with her? Nothing was going on with her, she was fine! "I know you're looking into your mom's case Kate" he stated, her eyes flying open as she sat up, holding the blanket tightly around her chest as he remained perfectly still, knowing that she was furious just from the change in her facial expression.

"Who told you Rick?" she asked, turning to look at him before shaking her head. "It was Javi wasn't it? He told you something that I wanted to keep private" she screamed as the writer nodded, knowing better than to lie to her when she was upset like this. "That's my business, not his" she declared as he sat up and gently pressed a kiss to her back, desperate for her to calm down. Moving his hand across to rest on her stomach, the writer sighed as he held her close to his chest as she continued to sob. "I didn't want you to know".

"Why? Because you think I'm going to make you stop?" he asked as she nodded slowly. "I know how much you want this Kate, I know you want to give your mother justice, I do understand" he whispered as she turned her head so she could see whether he was being honest. "But I also know that your mom wouldn't want you to get lost searching for the man who did this, she would want you to live your life" he explained as he heard her finally break, her body turning so she could tightly wrap her arms around him. "It's okay Kate, it's okay sweetheart" he whispered, lying down with her curled up in his arms breaking down. "I just can't lose you to this Kate, we can't lose you to this" he mumbled into her hair as she nodded slowly.

"I don't want to let her down though" Kate admitted.

"You think you'd be letting her down by living your life Kate?" he asked as she shrugged. "Your mom brought you into this world so you could live a life Kate, even if she didn't tell you her dream was to see you one day married with children and a career and a life. I bet she imagined you with a large family who adore you to bits and a husband to worship you and the house with the picket fence and a dog barking at everyone who walks past" he smiled as she laughed at the idea.

"You don't live in a house with a picket fence and I am not having a dog in your apartment Rick" she stated as a small smile covered his face at the fact that she wasn't disagreeing with anything to do with the lots of children he mentioned her having. "But she needs justice Rick, she deserves justice, she needs someone to find out who killed her" she muttered as he sighed, hating how upset she was.

"I know but we can't risk losing you Kate, I love you and you're a mother to Alexis. You're practically our whole world Kate" he declared, kissing her gently as she tightened her arms around him. "We can't lose you".

"But…" she began.

"No buts Kate, you've got to stop doing this alone. I'm here, I want to help you but I can't watch you destroy your life" he declared, kissing her gently as the tears continued to run down her cheeks. "I need you to stop working on this alone Kate, I'm begging you" he whispered, his fingers running across her flat stomach as he sighed. "For our future Katie, I'm begging you to stop fighting this".

"But who's going to fight for her if I don't?" she asked.

"Kate, you fight for everyday by providing people with the justice they need" he stated. "You're making New York safe for Alexis and for everyone who could be at risk like your mother was" he whispered as she slowly nodded and shut her eyes, yawning in exhaustion as he sighed and gently pressed a kiss into her hair, not wanting to let her go when she needed him. "We should get dressed and do something, maybe go for a walk or something. We could go and meet the rest of them if you want, join in with the fishing or just have some fun down there" he announced as he sat up and stared down at her before leaning down to kiss her as her hand moved to rest against his cheek. "Out of bed" he ordered.

"I don't want too" she moaned as his eyebrows rose before he pulled her out of the bed and kissed her, smiling at the warmth of her naked body under his hands. "Can we not go down to where everyone else is Rick?" she asked as confusion covered his face. "I don't want to talk to Javier at the moment and I just want to be alone with you before you leave again" she admitted as he nodded and kissed her again before reaching across for his boxers and pulling them on. "I want to take you somewhere" she admitted.

"I'd like that Katie" he declared, pulling his boxers on before he walked towards the closed door and picked up her underwear before throwing it at her. "I love you but my body can't cope with any more rounds of sex Kate, I'm exhausted" he admitted as she nodded slowly and gently began to dress herself in the items of clothing he'd thrown at her. Watching as he walked towards the door, Kate smiled as he opened it and disappeared before walking back a few moments later with their clothes in his arms.

XOXOXOXOXO

Leading him through the trees, Kate smiled as she held onto his hands and continued on through the forest as the writer remained close to her; knowing better than to get lost in the middle of a forest he didn't know. Stopping, Kate sighed as she looked across at the writer and gently kissed him before turning him around so he could see the main reason for coming to this specific point. Turning, the writer sighed as he stared across at the view in front of him.

"Wow Kate" he declared as she nodded and pointed towards the lake in the distance. "Is that where everyone is?" he asked as she nodded again, allowing him to wrap an arm around her hips in order to bring her close to his body. "This is perfect" he whispered as she sighed and slowly moved to sit down on the ground. Sitting down beside her, Rick smiled as she kicked her shoes off and stared at him.

"Take your shoes off" she ordered as the writer laughed and did what she say, pairing them away from him as she moved closer to him and gently kissed him. "Twenty questions?" she asked as he laughed and nodded, remembering how the game was played on their first date and was now something they did about each other.

"Why don't we change it around a bit?" he suggested as she stared at him for a moment. "You ask me a question about you and I have to see whether you answer it correctly" he explained as she nodded in agreement and quickly took hold of his hand as they stared across at each other in silence for a moment. "Okay Kate, what is my favourite way to spend an evening?" he asked as she smiled and squeezed his hand.

"Cuddling up with Alexis and me either watching a movie or the three of us just reading a book together" Kate explained as Rick nodded and quickly kissed her again, knowing that he needed to take as many as physically possible while they were available to him. "Where is my favourite place to go when I need to be alone?" she asked as he smirked.

"You go into my office if I'm not working and curl up in my chair with one of my books but if I'm working you hide in our bedroom on the window sill" he explained as she nodded slowly. "When you really want to be alone you pull the curtains shut to separate yourself from the world and sometimes you'll fall asleep there and I have to move you into bed" he declared as she bit into her lip and nodded again before laughing. "Name two of the things I regret" he whispered as Kate tightened her grip of his hand, knowing that this would upset him.

"Not giving Alexis the secure home she deserved as a child" Kate whispered as he nodded slowly, thinking about the little girl who was so happy now that she had a large family around her. "And not knowing your father" she whispered as he sighed, her body moving closer so she could cuddle him. Lying down on the ground, Kate sighed as she used her finger to write words on his t-shirt covered chest. "You don't need him Rick, he probably wasn't a decent man and you're amazing the way you are. You probably wouldn't be as amazing as you are now if you were raised with him in mind" she admitted as he nodded slowly and shut his eyes. "What is my biggest fear?"

"Failing the people you love most" he stated as they both fell silent.

XOOXOXOXOXO

"Daddy I caught a fish today, it was the biggest fish out of all of them, it was amazing daddy" Alexis beamed as she ran towards her father and jumped into his arms. "Jim says I'm going to be an amazing fisherman" Alexis stated before staring at her father in confusion. "Fisherwoman, is that right daddy?" the redhead asked as the writer nodded and quickly pressed a kiss into her red hair. "What did you do today daddy?" Alexis smiled.

"I spent some time with your mommy actually Lex" he stated as the redhead nodded and looked around her in search of the brunette. Noticing what his daughter was doing, Rick sighed as he smiled up at his mother and Jim who also looked confused at the lack of Kate's presence. "She went for a walk, she's clearing her head" he stated as Jim nodded and disappeared into the house, quickly followed by the older redhead while Lanie, Javier and Kevin walked towards them; the writer staring at the latter man in confusion because of her drenched clothing.

"So what are we doing for dinner tonight?" Kevin asked as Rick smirked.

"I was thinking fish since it's a popular theme today" the writer stated as Kevin groaned. "Didn't you have fun Kevin?"

"I did until two people thought it would be fun to push me into the lake" he stated, glaring across at Lanie and Javier who were now looking down at the floor with smirks covering their faces. "Evil" he hissed at them before laughing and disappearing into his tent.

"You two are evil sometimes" Rick laughed as both of them shrugged before beaming up at each other. "Evil, evil people" the writer declared as he smiled down at his daughter who was playing with her hair before he looked up towards the hills where he knew Kate was somewhere.

XOOXXOXOXOXO

Feeling the rain get heavier, the brunette sighed as she looked up to see dark clouds filling the sky while her arms wrapped around her body. She was annoyed at herself, she hadn't worn a jacket or coat and now it was cold and she was regretting her long walk without any supplies or anyone with her. She'd been desperate to have some time alone! Some time to think about everything! Think about whether she was capable to put away her mother's case in order to stop herself from destroying the relationship she had with Rick and Alexis. The relationship that meant so much to her.

"Damn it's cold" Kate moaned to herself, turning around so she could start to walk down the path, not looking where she was going as she felt her clothes become drenched with every step she took. Finally looking up from her feet, the brunette quickly looked around her, completely confused about where she was. "Shit" she mumbled, turning around to start walking back but confusion covering her face quickly when she found herself staring at dark paths. "Well done Kate, well done" she hissed to herself, walking down the left path hoping that it was the right one.

XOOXOXOXOXOXOX

"Kate" Rick screamed as he walked through the forest, holding the torch in his shaking hands as he desperately searched for her while listening to their friends screaming her name from different places from the woods. "Kate" he screamed again, desperately hoping they would find her before the storm got worse. Jim had discovered that a thunder storm was expected and after two hours of Kate not turning back from her walk, everyone had started to panic about her! "Kate" he called out again.

"Rick" he heard a voice half scream in the distance. "Rick" he heard again, his body quickly moving into a run as he headed in the direction of where her voice was coming from. Turning a corner, the writer sighed to see Kate completely drenched and obviously shaking. "Rick" she mumbled.

"You're frozen, come here" he whispered, her body slowly approaching him as he tightened his arms around her and turned around, leading her back the way he had just come as she shook in his arms. "It's okay, I've found you" he declared as she started to sob. "I've got you Katie, I've got you now".

**Your response to the last couple of chapters has been amazing, I love reading every review you've given me and honestly you're all so kind in what you say. **

**I'm not sure about this chapter but once again it's up to you. I'm perfectly happy to change chapters if people really hate them. Writing is about enjoyment and improving. **

**Anyway please review! I love hearing from you and well, it does make me review faster. It is a proven fact. **


	22. Chapter 22

**This chapter is pitifully small but hopefully you like it and review because I'm not too sure about the ending and whether you agree with it! I've made you all worry now! **

**Anyway this chapter is dedicated Olg! Thank you for your amazing review and I hope you all enjoy the chapter! **

"Dad can I talk to you about something?" Kate asked as she slowly walked over to her father who was sat in her old bedroom flicking through an old photo album. Staring up at his daughter, Jim sighed as he stared at the pale young woman who was staring back at him from the doorway with her arms tightly wrapped around her chest.

"Of course you can Katie" he declared, smiling as she walked over and sat down beside him. "Why aren't you asleep already?" he asked, knowing that everyone else was fast asleep. "You must be exhausted after your walk" he admitted as she sighed and nodded, his arms tightly wrapping around her as she stared down at the pictures her father were looking at.

"She looked so beautiful didn't she?" Kate sighed as she stared at the image of her mother walking down the aisle with the largest smile covering her face.

"Yes she did, I was the proudest man alive when I saw her walking down the aisle towards me Katie. She just looked stunning and she had the largest smile on her face, I just knew she was the only one I could ever want" Jim whispered as he sighed and watched the tears roll down his daughter's cheeks after he'd finished talking. "Katie, what's going on with you at the moment?" he asked as she shook her head and wipe the tears away from her face. "You can talk to me sweetheart, whatever it is, I will understand".

"Would mom hate me if I didn't look into her case daddy?" she asked as confusion covered his face. "I've been looking into mom's case at work and it's starting to put a strain on my relationship with Lex and Rick thinks I need to stop looking into it because it's starting to ruin things. I even missed Alexis' speech about me and that's one of the reasons we came out here, we needed to get away from everything" she admitted as he tightened his arms around her and pressed a kiss into her forehead. "But I don't want to let mom down daddy, I don't want the people who killed her to just get away with it".

"Katie, you wouldn't be letting your mom down by living your life. The whole reason for having you was to watch you live your life, we wanted to create a life together" he explained as he held her close to his body. "Your mom would have wanted you to be happy Katie and Rick makes you happy, happier than I've ever seen you. Your job is just a job Katie, it's not your life and your mom would want you to be there for Alexis and Rick more than spending your time looking into the past" he explained as Kate smiled and nodded slowly, knowing that he was probably right. "It's not going to bring her back darling, fighting to find her killer won't bring her back".

"I know daddy" she whispered before sighing. "I know".

XOOXOXOXOXOXXOO

Opening his eyes, Rick sighed as he looked across the room to see a floor covered in sleeping bags full of sleeping people. They'd decided that evening that it would be better for everyone to stay inside, especially when Kevin had climbed into his tent to find a major leak and his sleeping bag completely soaked. Staring across at the space beside him, the writer groaned as he realised that Kate wasn't curled up beside him like she had been earlier that evening when they both had fallen asleep. Climbing out of the sleeping bag, the writer sighed as he slowly climbed over every sleeping person before looking around in an attempt to work out where the brunette was.

"Kate?" he whispered, hoping that his voice was loud enough for her to hear over the storm that was still howling outside. "Kate where the hell are you?" he moaned as he walked down the corridor towards the kitchen, hoping that she'd woken up because she was hungry or something silly like that. "Kate?" he whispered again.

"In here" a voice replied as the smile grew on his face before he entered the kitchen to find her sat on the window ledge watching the storm. "My mom loved weather like this, she would stay up for hours and watch the storms." she whispered as he moved towards her and rested his hand on her shoulder before pressing a kiss into her hair. "Dad and I never understood but now I can kind of see why she loved them" she admitted as he felt her shaking underneath his hand.

"You're still shaking Katie" he commented, feeling her body shiver under his hands. "Here, you need it more than I do at the moment sweetheart" he whispered, pulling his jumper off before passing it to her as a grateful smile covered her face while she pulled it on over her t-shirt and leant across to kiss his cheek gently. "Why aren't you in bed? It's been a long day and you need some sleep" he asked as she groaned and rested her head against his shoulder.

"I couldn't sleep, I did try but I gave up. I was worried about disturbing you" she whispered as he sighed. "I had a nightmare Rick" the brunette sighed as he stared at her in confusion.

"Want to tell me about it?" he asked as she found his hand and clung onto it.

"I saw my mom and she told me that I disappointed her by giving up her case" she admitted as tears ran down her cheeks. "She told me that she wouldn't see me as her daughter if I gave up searching for her killer" she sobbed as she clung desperately onto his hand, not wanting to let go of him. "She was so angry Rick and she was so disappointed, I didn't know what to do" she explained as he held her close to his body, wanting to support her. "And when I woke up I remembered what dad said to me earlier and then I realised I don't want this anymore".

"You talked to your dad?" he asked as she nodded and smiled. "What did he say?"

"That fighting for my mom's case won't ever bring her back and that you and Alexis are my life and she would want me not to waste any of my time with you" she explained as he nodded.

"Wise words of advice from a very wise man" he muttered as Kate nodded.

"Rick I need to stop trying to do everything, I want to be a good mother to Alexis but I can't if I'm too busy trying to fight for justice for my mother. I need to start living my life how I want too, I can't keep living it the way I am because mom was murdered" she explained before leaning across to kiss him before pulling away and staring down at her hands. "I don't want to be defined by my mother's case and I don't want to ever miss one of Alexis' performances again".

"Kate?" he asked.

"Yes" she blurted out as confusion covered his face before he watched as she slid the ring off her middle finger. "Rick" she mumbled as he watched in amazement as she moved her promise ring onto her ring finger and looked up at him. "I'm ready for that next step you asked me about" she admitted as she leant across and kissed him gently. "Yes Rick, I'm saying yes" she whispered against his lips as he laughed in shock before kissing her again in amazement.

"We're getting married" he muttered as she nodded and smiled.

"We're getting married Rick" she assured him, her hand squeezing his before they kissed again.

**So, what do you think? **


	23. Chapter 23

**This chapter is dedicated to the wonderful Miniwriter305 who I welcome back to the reviewing world, I have missed your wonderful comments and I hope you enjoy the chapter and everyone else enjoys it as well! **

"I have some news for you Officer Beckett" Rick smiled as he entered the kitchen again where Kate was sat by the table with a mug of coffee in her hands. "Guess who was just on the phone" he smiled as she shrugged and grabbed his t-shirt, pulling him down so she could kiss him. "It was Gina, her family problems have gotten worse and she doesn't trust me to behaviour on tour so she's cancelled the rest of the dates" he explained as shock covered Kate's face. "I'll have to go again later in the year but I'm not going anywhere at the moment" he smiled as she squealed and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Thank you" Kate whispered, kissing him again before sighing. "Fiancé" she added as he nodded and laughed, still amazed at the fact that they were getting married. He was marrying Katherine Beckett! "We need to tell everyone Rick, I want everyone to know that you're no longer available, especially all of those annoying fans of yours" she blurted out, her voice full of excitement as he laughed.

"Kate our family are all asleep at the moment but we'll tell them over breakfast. They're going to need some food because they're going to be in shock, especially your dad" he declared as she nodded and kissed him again. "Oh god your dad is going to kill me when he finds out" he moaned as she laughed at the panic that quickly covered his face. "He's literally going to kill me Kate, you're nineteen and getting married" he blurted out as Kate laughed and ran her hand to his cheek, smiling at the sight of the ring that now decorated her ring finger.

"I don't care what he thinks, what anyone thinks actually Rick" she mumbled. "Age is just a number and I love you, no one else matters" she explained as her forehead rested against his. "Gina's going to be devastated when she finds out that there's no chance for her to get you into bed Rick" she stated before kissing him gently and moving away from him before approaching the window to look out at the pouring rain. "I'm bored, I need to do something" she moaned.

"You can do me if you want future Mrs Castle" he teased as she rolled her eyes and turned to look at him.

"I'd love too Rick but our family is asleep all over this place and you're not a quiet man Richard Castle, you never have been" she smiled before laughing again, her eyes looking down at the ring for a moment before sighing.

"I should really get you a proper engagement ring" he muttered as she shook her head and smiled at her ring.

"I like this one" she stated as he laughed.

"But it's a promise ring, it's not an engagement ring Kate" he explained as she shook her head. "You need an engagement ring".

"No I don't, I like this ring" she smiled as she took hold of his hand and stared at his ring. "It shows that we kept our promises to each other and are taking that next step" she explained as he smiled, amazed that he hadn't thought of that himself. "I don't want another ring because it won't tell the same story".

XOOXOXOXOXOXO

"You two have been busy this morning" Lanie commented as she entered the kitchen with the group to find Kate and Rick cooking breakfast before sighing. "Any reason why we're having this much food?" she asked.

"Actually there is" Rick smiled, wrapping his arms around Kate as confusion covered everyone's face before they sat down and watched as Kate sat down beside the writer and held onto his hand under the table, hiding that her ring had changed fingers. "Eat up" Rick laughed as he looked across at everyone who fell silent again before looking at the couple.

"Just tell us the news" Jim stated as Kate laughed, unable to control the smiles that were covering her face. "Oh god you're not pregnant are you Kate?" he asked as Kate shook her head, not shocked that it was the first thing her father thought of. "So what's going on then?" he questioned as Kate smiled and looked across at the writer who nodded.

"Do you want me to tell them or do you want too?" he asked as she sighed.

"You tell them, I don't know how too" Kate whispered as the writer nodded and sighed, trying to think of the best way to break the news to Jim Beckett without ending up being tortured by the older man.

"Well, a couple of months ago I asked Kate to marry me" he explained as shock covered all their faces. "We were fighting about something that happened with Madison and I asked her to marry me but I knew she wasn't completely ready for that so I told her that when she was ready she could put her promise ring on her ring finger" he explained as everyone but Jim and Martha nodded slowly.

"So last night…" Kate began as she lifted her hand up to reveal the ring that had changed finger. "Last night I told Rick that I wanted to marry him" she smiled as everyone but the two parents cheered.

"Congratulations" Kevin and Javier both said as Kate and Rick thanked them both as Alexis beamed before moving out of her chair to quickly wrap her arms around her parents.

"Are you happy that mommy and daddy are getting married pumpkin?" Rick asked as Alexis nodded and stared up at them as the writer lifted her onto his lap and cuddled her.

"If you and mommy get married daddy, can I have a brother or sister?" Alexis asked as Jim choked on the drink he had attempted to have the moment before. "I would be a good big sister, I promise I'd look after them" the redhead explained as Kate laughed gently, knowing that Alexis would be an amazing big sister although the brunette wasn't planning on having any children yet. "Please mommy".

"Sweetheart it's not as easy as getting married and just giving you a baby brother or sister" she explained as Lanie smirked at the brunette who was beginning to look uncomfortable. "A baby is a big commitment pumpkin and I don't think I'm personally ready to have a baby yet" she admitted as Alexis sighed and nodded. "But I promise Alexis that you won't be an only child forever" she added as Alexis beamed before laughing.

"Mother what do you think about our news?" Rick asked, looking across at the older redhead who smiled weakly at them before nodding, not knowing what to say.

"I'm happy for you darling, I'm happy for both of you. I know you'll be very happy together" the redhead admitted as Kate smiled and squeezed Rick's hand under the table.

"Dad what do you think about this?" Kate asked as she stared at Jim who looked down at his drink for a moment.

"I just can't believe that my nineteen years old daughter is getting married" Jim admitted as Kate beamed. "I guess all I can say is congratulations to you both" he muttered as Kate nodded, knowing that her father was pretending to act more positive than he was actually feeling.

"Thank you daddy" Kate whispered, smiling across at him as Jim looked across and finally noticed how excited his daughter looked at the idea of getting married and he couldn't help but feel happy for her. "Right, everyone needs to eat" Kate stated as they all laughed, staring at the food in front of them before laughing.

"I can't believe you two are getting married" Lanie squealed as Martha laughed at the medical student's reaction. "Oh my god we have to go dress shopping Kate, it's going to be so much fun" Lanie blurted out as Kate slowly nodded, finally realising that she hadn't thought plans at all. "You're going to have the best wedding ever" Lanie declared as Kate smiled across at her friend before looking up at the writer who beamed down at her before pressing a kiss to her forehead, noticing that she was beginning to panic.

"We'll be fine Kate, relax and eat something" he whispered as she nodded slowly and relaxed, knowing better than to stress over the concept of planning the most important day of her life. "I also have some other news everyone" he stated as they all nodded, placing food on their plates as they fell silent. "I'm not going back on tour so you're all stuck with me again".

"Really daddy?" Alexis asked as he nodded, smiling when she tightened her arms around him as she remained seated on his lap. "I don't want you to ever go away again daddy, it's not nice when you're gone" the redhead admitted as Rick sighed.

"I'll try not to go away for as long again sweetheart, I promise. Maybe next time you and mommy can come with me" he whispered as Alexis cheered.

"I'd like that daddy, I want to see everywhere you go when you're working" the redhead stated before moving so she could go and eat her own breakfast.

"I'd like that too, I'd really like that Rick" Kate whispered, leaning across to kiss him gently as Lanie cheered, still excited over the news that there was going to be a wedding.

OXOOXOXOXOXOXXO

"Jim can I talk to you for a minute?" Rick asked as he walked over to the older man who was sat in a different room to the group with a book in his hands. Shutting the book he was holding, Jim sighed as he looked up and nodded before watching as Rick sat down and sighed. "It's about Kate and the wedding" he admitted as the older man murmured in acknowledgement. "I know you're worried…" he began.

"Worried? Rick my little girl is nineteen and she's getting married" he stated as Rick nodded. "I'm more than worried, I'm terrified that one day she's going to regret this" he explained as the writer sighed, knowing that the older man had every right to be nervous. Kate was planning to get married and spend her life with the only man she'd ever been in a serious relationship with.

"I understand that Jim but I love her, I want to spend my life with her" Rick explained as Jim stared at him.

"And did you say that about Alexis' mother?" he asked.

"Never! I loved Meredith in a way a guy loves the first woman he's ever been serious about but we were young and we made mistakes and I married her to create a decent home for our daughter" he stated as Jim nodded slowly. "But Kate is the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with" he declared, his voice full of determination as he sighed. "Kate's this amazing caring woman and I adore her and Alexis is obsessed with her, I've never seen Alexis grow this close to someone" he stated as he smiled.

"What if Kate meets someone else in the future?" Jim asked.

"Then I'll be devastated but I'd do whatever it meant to make her happy. This is Kate's life and she needs to be happy, I want her to be happy with everything she's doing" he declared as Jim smiled and nodded. "I just want you to be happy for her Jim, she wants your blessing even though she won't admit it" he explained as the older man beamed.

"Rick of course you have my blessing to marry Kate" Jim smiled as shock covered the writer's face. "I know you make Kate happy and I want her to be happy" he explained as Rick beamed. "Also I know not to argue with Kate when she decides to do something" he laughed as the writer smiled, glad that he had talked to the older man in the end!


	24. Chapter 24

**This chapter is dedicated to Erbear1877 whose review just made me smile when I woke up this morning. Thank you for reviewing and for your support and excitement. **

"Are you sure your friends won't mind me coming with you Kevin?" Jenny asked as Kevin led her down the corridor towards the loft, his head nodded as she beamed down at her and held her close for a moment. "I don't want to make things awkward, this is Rick and Kate's engagement party and I don't want to make things weird" she admitted as he sighed and gently rested his hands on her shoulders before kissing her forehead.

"Jenny they want you here, I asked them whether I could bring you to their party and they were so excited about getting to meet you properly so please calm down" he laughed as she nodded and watched as he knocked on the door; his smile growing as he watched the front door open and Rick appear in the doorway.

"Finally Kevin, better late than never, we were beginning to think that you'd never turn up" Rick teased before looking across at the blonde who was cuddled up against the other man. "And you must be Jenny, we've heard so many wonderful things about you, Kevin never stops talking about you" he explained as the blonde laughed as her cheeks began to turn red. "Come on in" he smiled, moving out of the way to allow the couple in to reveal the crowd of people who were stood around the brunette smiling.

"Guys can we please stop talking wedding plans?" Kate asked as she moved away from Martha and Lanie to cuddle up beside the writer. "Tell your mother to stop bugging me about when I'm going dress shopping with her and Lanie" she whispered to him as Rick turned his head and glared across at his mother who shrugged before sitting down beside her granddaughter.

"She's just excited Katie, she'll shut up about it before you know it. She just needs to get it out of her system" he explained to her as Kate nodded slowly before looking across at the two arrivals. "Kate, you know Jenny, right?" he asked as Kate nodded again, remembering the petit blonde from their time at the theatre.

"It's nice to see you again Jenny, you've certainly made an impression on our Kevin" Kate explained as the blonde smiled up at the man who was beside her before gently pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Help yourselves to drinks, I need to steal Rick for a moment" the brunette stated as the couple nodded and watched as Kate took hold of Rick's hand and led him towards his office. Entering the room, Kate sighed as the writer shut the door and stared at her for a moment. "Rick, I am honestly going to hurt the next person who mentions dresses or flowers or cakes to me" she declared as he laughed and walked over to her, his arms wrapping around her as she groaned and shut her eyes.

"Kate they're excited that's all. It's the first proper wedding and they want it to be perfect" he explained as she turned and stared at him. "You do need to go dress shopping sweetheart, you need an idea of bridesmaid's colours and colours for the wedding so we can have a colour scheme throughout for the flowers and things" he explained as she groaned and hit him gently. "You do still want to get married don't you?" he asked as she stared at him in shock before kissing him.

"Of course I want to get married Rick, I love you and I want to spend my life with you" she whispered as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I just don't like all these people asking me about things that I haven't even thought about at the moment. I just want to be engaged for a while, I don't want everything to be a massive panic" she admitted as he clung onto her hand and nodded before kissing her again. "It's our engagement party and we've snuck off to moan about wedding plans" she laughed as he nodded again before they both sighed, holding onto each other's hands tightly as they looked towards the closed door. "I don't want to go back out there Rick, your mother will come and find me and she'll desperately want to talk colours and dresses and flaming cakes, I don't even like cakes Rick" she admitted.

"Come on, they're here to celebrate our engagement, they don't mean to be annoying sweetheart" he declared as he led her towards the door and quickly opened it to see everyone waiting for them with large smiles covering their faces. Tightening his arm around Kate's hips, the writer smiled as he beamed at their friends and family before pressing a kiss into Kate's hair. "I can't believe we're engaged" he laughed as she nodded.

"I know exactly the feeling".

XOXOXOXOXOXO

"So Rick told me that you gave us your blessing" Kate admitted as she walked over and joined her father who was currently sat with Alexis watching her draw. "Did you really give us your blessing daddy?" she asked as he nodded and turned around to face her.

"Of course I did, he makes you happy, he's a nice guy with a stable job and a kind heart and you deserve someone fun in your life Katie" Jim declared, laughing when Kate wrapped her arms around his neck as he sighed. "God your mother would be so proud of you" he admitted as tears filled Kate's eyes. "She loved Rick and she thought he was really good for you, he is really good for you" he explained as Kate gently pressed a kiss to her father's cheek.

"I wish mom could be here dad, she would know what to do about dresses and cakes and things that I really don't want to think about" she mumbled.

"I know sweetheart, I wish she could be here too to help you" he declared, holding her close as she shut her eyes, desperately wanting not to cry at her own engagement party.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

"So I went through some magazines this morning and found some nice bridesmaids dresses that you might like" Martha declared as she entered the master bedroom with Lanie and a silent Jenny to find the brunette sat on the bed with Alexis curled into her side. "There are some pretty pink ones that might look nice" the older woman explained as she flicked through the magazine she was holding to reveal the dresses she was talking about as Kate nodded slowly, not listening as the older redhead continued to discuss each dress she pointed out to her. "So Kate what do you think?" the redhead asked.

"They're okay Martha, I'll have a proper look later with Rick. I don't really want to choose colours without Rick's involvement, it's his wedding too" she whispered, gently pressing a kiss into Alexis' hair as she relaxed back, not wanting to leave the room until the six year old had fallen asleep. "Can you tell Rick that I'm really tired?" she asked as Martha nodded and led Lanie and Jenny out of the room as Kate shut her eyes. "I love you grams to bits Alexis but she really doesn't know when to stop".

"How do you mean mommy?" Alexis asked before yawning.

"It doesn't matter sweetheart, you just need to get some sleep. It's late" Kate smiled as she watched the door creak open slightly before Rick popped his head around the door. "Hey stranger" the brunette whispered as he nodded and walked into the room.

"Still hiding?" he asked as she nodded. "What did she do this time?"

"Bridesmaids dresses, I'm being attacked with pinks and purples and blues and all sorts of colours" she smiled as the writer walked towards her and gently kissed her as Alexis groaned and turned away so she didn't have to look at them. "I should really go back out shouldn't I?" she muttered as he nodded and took hold of her hand, helping her off the bed as she looked down at Alexis and quickly pressed a kiss to her cheek.

"Remind me why is she camping out in our room?" Rick asked as they slowly left their bedroom a few moments later.

"Because it has the bigger bed and I was hoping to use her as an excuse to get your mother and Lanie to leave me alone" she explained as he laughed and gently kissed her before letting go of the hand he was holding. "Where are you going?" she asked as he began to move away from her.

"To have a word with my mother" he stated.

"Beckett we're playing poker, come join us" Javier called over from the table as Kate turned to see Kevin, Javier, Lanie and Jenny sat around waiting for her. Smiling at the writer, she quickly pressed a kiss to his cheek as she moved away towards her friends while he approached his mother and took her arm before leading her towards his office.

"Richard what the hell is going on?" Martha asked, sitting down as he shut the door and stared at her.

"Can you please stop hassling Kate with all these plans? She's starting to freak out about the whole thing" he moaned as confusion covered the woman's face.

"I'm just trying to help her plan your wedding Richard, we can't have another disaster like the last one where I wasn't allowed to help with the planning" she stated as Rick sighed, finally realising that his mother wanted the chance to be involved because she hadn't been allowed when he married Meredith.

"Mother I'm sure Kate would love your help at some point but can you please wait for her to come to you about it?" he begged as she shrugged. "No mother, you can't just shrug this off" he warned, his arms crossing as shock covered the older woman's face. "Mother" he warned.

"Okay, I promise to wait for Kate to approach me" she sighed before relaxing back in the chair. "But at the rate she's going with planning Richard you're not going to be getting married for a few years" she muttered, hating that she was talking badly about a young woman who she really did care about.

"I don't care when we get married mom, yes I'd love it to be sooner rather than later but I just want Kate to be happy" he declared as the older woman smiled gently at her son. "This is a big step for Kate mom, she's nineteen and I want her to have time to adjust to the idea. I don't want her to speed through this and then maybe one day regrets it" he explained, sitting down as Martha smirked. "What?" he asked, noticing her change in expression.

"You've grown up Rick" she commented as he shook his head and felt her wrap her arms around him.

"What are you doing?" he asked, feeling nervous about his mother hugging him.

"My little boy is all grown up and getting married" she laughed as he rolled his eyes and moved out of her arms. "And this time the marriage is going to last" she added as he nodded, knowing that Kate was the one this time.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

"She's cute Kevin" Rick commented as he sat on the couch with Kevin and Javier and watched as all of their partners stood in the kitchen laughing about something. "And she seems really nice" he added as Kevin nodded again, unable to take his eyes of the petit blonde who turned for a second and beamed at him. "And she gets on well with our girlfriends" he added as Javier nodded, smiling at the checklist Rick was going through. "I think you should go out with her".

"I already am, we've been out together four times, not that it's any of your business" Kevin smiled as the two men clapped and cheered, earning everyone's attention from the kitchen.

"Our Kevin's all grown up" Javier teased as Lanie rolled her eyes at them before sighing and turning to look at Jenny.

"I'm sorry about them, they're all children at heart" the medical student muttered as the blonde shrugged.

"They're just very protective of Kevin" Kate explained as confusion covered Jenny's face. "He's quite new to the dating scene since his last girlfriend cheated on him with his best friend" the brunette explained as sadness covered Jenny's face.

"You don't think I'm his rebound do you?" the blonde asked as fear quickly joined the sadness.

"God no Jenny, the man is crazy about you" Lanie smiled as the blonde slowly nodded, still worried about the idea of it. "Honestly the whole way to Kate's father's cabin all he did was talk about you and how amazing you are, he really likes you Jenny" the student explained as Jenny turned to look at the three men to see Javier hitting the writer with a cushion.

"What was that for?" Rick moaned as he stared across at his friend.

"Didn't have anything better to do" Javier muttered as Rick quickly retaliated with the cushion.

"Hey, I'm in between you both, stop it because you're hitting me too" Kevin whined as Kate sighed.

"See they're still children" the brunette muttered before walking into the living room and pulling the cushion out of the writers hand and hitting him on the head with it. "It's nice to see that you're having fun beating our guests up" she smiled as he shrugged and leant up to kiss her gently before laughing. "Hello Mr Castle" she smirked as he stared up at her.

"Hello future Mrs Castle" he declared as she laughed and gently kissed him again as Javier and Kevin both moaned.

"You two are just eww sometimes both men moaned, earning a glare from their girlfriends.

**I hate this chapter, I absolutely detest it but I couldn't think of anything else and I hope you enjoy it and if you don't then I'm happy to rewrite something else. **

**We made it to 300 reviews in record time, I can't believe that! I'm so excited about how many of you like this! **


	25. Chapter 25

**This chapter is dedicated to Laura who knows how to make me smile whenever I'm low and is my personal cheerleader. I honestly don't know what I would do without you and I hope that you enjoy the chapter, especially seeing that I didn't email it to you so you'd be surprised when I updated. **

**Thank you for your amazing response to the last chapter! I greatly appreciate all your reviews and I promise there will be more Kevin and Jenny scenes in the future for you to all look forward too! **

"Kate you've got visitors" Rick sighed as he stared at the brunette who was lying in bed pretending be asleep. "I know you're awake and so do they so get up, they're taking you shopping" he declared, a groan leaving her lips as she grabbed the pillow from under head and covered her face with it. "Anyone would think that you don't want to get married Kate with the way you're acting towards this" he sighed as she turned to look at him. They'd been engaged for over three months and his fiancée had done everything possible to avoid wedding plans whether it was working more or hiding every time anyone came near her with a wedding magazine.

"Of course I want to get married Rick, how many times do I have to tell you that?" she stated as she sat up and stared at him. "What am I going shopping for today?" she asked as he smiled and moved towards her, gently kissing her as she stared at him. "I'm going dress shopping aren't I?" she moaned as he nodded and smiled, taking hold of her hands. "I'll do whatever you want if you make them disappear" she begged as he laughed and shook his head. "I mean it, I'll do anything sexual or not, I will do it for you" she smirked as he laughed.

"I'm going to regret this but no Kate, you need to go dress shopping and I'm not saying no to a team of my mother and Lanie because they scare me when they're alone, let alone when they're together" he stated as she hit him gently and climbed out of the bed. "You'll have a nice day with my mother and Lanie and Alexis and I think Jenny is going with you as well" he explained as the brunette nodded slowly, raiding her wardrobe as she searched for something to wear before pulling out a summer dress and turning to look at him. "And while you're out you can buy my birthday present" he teased as she rolled her eyes again. "Unless you already have it of course" he declared as she laughed gently and moved towards him to kiss him.

"Kate hurry up" Lanie screamed from the corridor as the brunette sighed and grabbed her clothes before approaching the en-suite.

"Go and distract them while I get dressed Rick, I don't want Lanie coming in here hassling me to get ready" Kate ordered before disappearing behind the door as the writer laughed and walked out of his bedroom.

XOOXOXOOXXO

Entering the small boutique, Kate sighed as she found herself immediately looking at a young woman who was twirling around in a wedding dress obviously in front of her best friend and her mother who was beaming in excitement while tears of pride ran down her cheeks. Feeling her emotions take over her, Kate quickly turned to look at the people who were joining her as her head shook.

"I can't do this" Kate whispered as shock covered Martha's face. They were so close. They were so close to getting things done for the wedding and she was running again. "I want to go home" she explained as Lanie groaned. "You guys can look at bridesmaids dresses and stuff, I'll come back in an hour, I just want to clear my head for a moment" she explained as Lanie quickly looked from Martha to Jenny who looked extremely nervous.

"One hour Kate, if you're not back by then we'll buy your wedding dress and you won't have any influence over it" Lanie stated as the brunette nodded and quickly leant down to press a kiss into her daughter's hair before leaving the shop; just as the petit woman who worked their approached them.

"And which one of you is the blushing bride?" she asked with the largest grin covering her face as she looked from Lanie to Jenny.

"She's the one who just did a runner" Lanie commented as confusion took over the woman's face. "We're here for bridesmaids dresses while she has an hour to think" the medical student as the woman nodded and led them towards the collection of bridesmaids dresses the store owned.

Walking down the street, Kate sighed as she found herself at her apartment building. Slipping inside, the brunette relaxed as she found herself in a familiar surrounding; her body moving towards the stairs so she could run and have a moment alone away from the idea of the wedding. The wedding that her mom would never been able to see! Feeling tears run down her cheeks, Kate groaned as she left the stairs and quickly walked towards the loft; unlocking it before she entered the see Rick miming along to the radio while pretending to play the guitar.

"So this is what you do when no one's home Rick" she smiled as he turned and noticed the tears that were running down her cheeks.

"What's wrong?" he asked, walking over to her as she wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face into his shoulder as she began to sob. "Did something happen? Are you okay?" he asked as she nodded slowly, knowing that there wasn't anything physically wrong with her.

"There was a woman in the shop and her mom was there and I just realised that my mom isn't going to be at my wedding. She's not going to be crying when she sees me in the perfect dress or when I walk down the aisle with my arm around dads" she sobbed as he sighed and pressed a kiss into her dark hair. "I couldn't go in there while this woman's mother was sobbing over the fact that her daughter's getting married".

"You are going back though" he commented as she nodded.

"In an hour" she explained as the writer sighed and gently led her towards the couch where they both sat down with their arms wrapped tightly around each other.

"I know it's hard sweetheart" he stated as she continued to sob in his arms. "She's your mom and no girl imagines getting married without her mom there to give her words of advice and to tell her whether the dress is perfect or not" he explained as Kate nodded slowly, wishing more than ever that her mom was with her. "But your mom would be so happy for you Kate and she would want you to have the wedding of your dreams and honestly, she would be so happy about us" he declared as Kate nodded slowly.

"I just want her to be the one bugging me about dresses and cakes Rick" she admitted. "I know your mom is excited but I want it to be my mom who is there when I go and buy my wedding dress" she explained as he sighed, not surprised that his mother wasn't helping matters. "I'm being really selfish because Martha is desperate to help but honestly, I feel like I'm drowning in all these plans and I don't know what to do" she explained as he held her close.

"What if I came with you Kate?" he asked as confusion covered her face. "You couldn't do the wedding dress today and I know it's not traditional for the groom to be there when bridesmaid's dresses are bought but I could be there just in case you want a Rick cuddle and to keep you afloat" he declared as she nodded slowly, already enjoying the idea of dress shopping more with him there. "I can also make sure we agree on the colour scheme and the dress is Alexis is put in because I can see me fighting with my mother over that" he smiled as she laughed and cuddled up against him. "Want an hour long cuddle?" he asked.

"I would love an hour long cuddle Rick" she smiled, her eyes shutting as he moved them so they were both lying down on the couch. "Lanie is going to be so angry when she sees you" she admitted as the writer shrugged.

"If she wants the wedding to happen then she better get used to it because I'm going to be there for every step except the wedding dress" he declared as Kate laughed and nodded, knowing that having Rick there would make things easier.

"She said if I wasn't back in an hour she would choose my wedding dress for me" she laughed as fear covered Rick's face. "I would most defiantly be in one of those huge skirt things that everyone seems to want even though they look terrible" she declared as Rick nodded and pressed a kiss to her head.

"Any ideas on the type of dress you want?" he asked as she sighed and stared up at him. "Okay for the next hour we're not discussing the wedding, we're just going to cuddle" the writer declared as she nodded and relaxed, enjoying the comfort that he gave her.

XOXOOXOXXOXO

"What do you think of this one?" Lanie asked as she turned in the deep midnight blue she was wearing as Kate forced a smile onto her face and nodded slowly while she sat beside the writer. "Kate you've done that for every single dress you've seen today, can you please do something more than nodding?" she sighed as the brunette shrugged again, honestly not caring what colour the medical student was wearing as long as it was a half decent dress. Watching as Alexis skipped out of the dressing room, Kate felt a large amount of pride cover her face as she stared at her daughter who span around in the deep blue colour as well.

"Look at you my beautiful little princess" Rick smiled as Alexis laughed.

"You look beautiful sweetheart, absolutely beautiful" Kate smiled as she gently pressed a kiss to the redhead's forehead before pulling her red hair away from her face before tying it back and staring at her. "You look stunning" the brunette stated as Alexis beamed at her before sighing; realising how much she actually adored the colour of the dresses that both Lanie and Alexis were wearing. "One more thing" Kate declared as confusion covered Lanie's face as she watched her friend turn to look at the blonde beside her. "Jenny would you like to be one of my bridesmaids?" Kate asked as shock covered the petit woman's face.

"Really?" Jenny asked as Kate nodded and smiled. She already adored the woman and knew that she needed another bridesmaid and she desperately wanted the blonde to be involved because everyone else would be in a way. "I would love to Kate, thank you" the blonde smiled.

"Go change into the dress then" Rick smiled as the blonde nodded and disappeared with the shop owner who had already collected another copy of the dress that Lanie was wearing. "Now what are you going to where beautiful?" the writer asked as he looked around the shop while Kate rolled her eyes and relaxed against him as Martha stared at them.

"Kate isn't choosing her wedding dress with you here Richard, it's bad luck for the groom to see the dress before the wedding" Martha declared as she smiled when Jenny walked out in the identical dress to Lanie.

"Oh Jenny you look stunning, Kevin isn't going to be able to take his eyes off of you in that dress and Javier won't be able to stop staring at you either Lanie" Rick admitted as Kate nodded in agreement, knowing that she preferred the dresses that they were wearing to any of the others that Lanie had tried on during the day. "I like these dresses, I think we should get them" Rick whispered into his fiancées ear as Kate nodded and smiled before kissing him gently.

"You'll be all glad to know that Rick and I are going to get these dresses and therefore have chosen a colour scheme for the wedding as well" Kate declared as Lanie and Martha cheered as Alexis beamed beside the blonde as she continued to dance around the dress she was wearing. "Go and change back into your normal clothes sweetheart" the brunette smiled as the six year old nodded and disappeared, quickly followed by Lanie and Martha as Kate turned to face the writer beside her. "Do you really like them?" she asked.

"Of course I do sweetheart, I wouldn't have said so otherwise" he explained as she nodded slowly and kissed him. "I kind of enjoyed shopping with you today, you're so cute when you're uncooperative" he admitted against her lips as she giggled lightly and nodded before kissing him again while Martha just rolled her eyes and began to run through the wedding dresses available.

"This is cute" Martha commented as she took out the white dress she found interesting and held it out so Kate could see; horror covering the brunette's face as she took in the large skirt and the strange white flowers that were attached in odd places. "By the horror in your face I take that to be a no".

"I would take that to be a very big no mother" Rick smiled as Kate nodded slowly, relaxing when the dress was quickly replaced back onto the rack so they could all forget about it. "You would look silly in something that big sweetheart" he declared as confusion covered her face. "I want to be able to see your sexy ass somewhere underneath the dress" he announced ending up with his mother gently hitting the back of his head while Kate elbowed his chest. "What? I appreciate perfection and my fiancées ass is exactly that" he stated as Kate groaned, knowing that the whole shop had heard his comment; including the young woman who had just entered the shop.

**So? What do you think? **


	26. Chapter 26

**I really hope you enjoy this chapter and please review, I love hearing from you.**

**I wasn't planning on updating until tomorrow but my mum is taking my laptop to London tomorrow so I won't have the chance so I'm updating earlier than expected. **

"Richard Castle, wake up right now" Kate declared as she stood at the end of their bed in her uniform and stared at her fiancé as he groaned and turned to face her, confusion covering his face as the newspaper was thrown at him. "I appreciate perfection and my fiancées ass is exactly that" she declared, his confusion increasing as he slowly unfolded the paper and stared at the front page where the quote he'd said about her when they had gone dress shopping along with a picture of him and Kate cuddled together in the dress shop while Alexis spun around in her dress.

"Get me the phone please" he declared as Kate stared at him.

"Rick it's fine, I'm not angry about this, I just wish it wasn't that quote on the front page of every paper in New York" she mumbled as he shook his head and climbed out of the bed before grabbing the phone that rested on the bedside table. "Rick calm down, it's fine" she whispered, confusion covering her face as he shook his head furiously.

"I have a rule, Alexis is never in the paper, Paula knows that and yet my daughter is on the front of the paper" he declared, dialling the number as Kate nodded and sighed, walking towards him before she leant down and gently pressed a kiss to his forehead. "Can you go and get Alexis ready for school?" he asked as she nodded and slowly walked out of the room, knowing that Alexis probably wasn't awake yet. Running up the stairs, Kate sighed as she entered her daughter's bedroom to see the redhead standing in front of the mirror brushing her hair while she stood in the outfit she'd chosen for the day.

"You're all up and ready nice and early this morning" Kate smiled as the redhead nodded and laughed before walking over and cuddling her. "Why don't we go and get some breakfast in you before we leave?" the brunette announced as Alexis nodded and took hold of her hand, squeezing it tightly as they walked out of the room together. Walking down the stairs together, Kate sighed as she found Rick sat on the couch in his pyjamas. "What did Paula say?" she asked.

"I should be more careful and then she shouted at me for waking her up so early and hung up" he declared. "I should just fire her for not doing her job" he moaned as Kate waked over and kissed him before sighing.

"You're going to fire her for one mistake Rick?" she asked as he shrugged, furious about his daughter being in the paper. "That doesn't sound like the man that I want to marry, the man I'm marrying would be angry of course but he wouldn't fire someone because of a mistake" she admitted as the writer nodded and gently pressed a kiss to her lips before turning to look at his daughter who was waiting in the kitchen.

"How does yoghurt and fruit sound for breakfast?" Kate declared as the redhead nodded and smiled when she walked over and began to get things out of their specific places. Kneeling down so Rick couldn't see her; the brunette smiled as she opened the kitchen cupboard and took out the presents she had hidden before passing one to the redhead. Standing, Kate sighed as she watched the six year old run towards her father and jump in front of him.

"Happy birthday daddy" Alexis cheered as the writer laughed and quickly wrapped his arms around his daughter before lifting her onto the couch before taking the present from her slowly. "Open it daddy" the redhead smiled as Kate watched proudly, her smile growing as she watched the writer unwrap the present and stare at the large collection of books on his lap.

"Oh wow sweetheart, thank you" the writer beamed as he leant across and gently pressed a kiss into the six years old hair before turning to look at the cop who was finishing breakfast. Walking over, Kate smiled as she held a bowl of breakfast in one hand and a present in another hand. "Is that for me?" he asked.

"No, I bought myself a present Rick" Kate laughed as she passed the bowl to the redhead who thanked her before passing the small gift to the writer. Unwrapping it, Rick smiled as he slowly removed the lid off the box he had revealed before staring down at the watch that was resting inside. "What do you think?" she asked as he smiled and slowly removed it out of the box, turning it over as he observed the inscription that had been carved into it.

_Always _

"Thank you Katie, I love it. I needed a new watch anyway and this is perfect" he whispered as Kate smiled and leant down to kiss him gently before relaxing. "Let me get dressed and I'll walk with you both" he declared as the brunette nodding as she watched him climb off the couch and disappear into his bedroom. Reappearing a few moments later, Rick smiled as he wrapped his arms around the brunette before kissing her as Alexis grabbed her bag and began to walk towards the door. "I haven't had breakfast" he stated, realising that he'd missed out on a meal.

"I'll treat you to a coffee and bear claw after we've dropped Alexis off Mr Castle" she whispered before they separated and each took hold of one of Alexis's hands. Walking into the elevator, Kate sighed as she stared down at the little girl before looking across at the writer who still looked nervous. Stepping out of the elevator a few moments later, the brunette smiled as she continued to cling onto the redhead's hand and walked towards the front door; shock covering her face as the writer opened the door and cameras started to flash while people screamed their names.

"When's the wedding?"

"Kate have you bought your dress yet?"

"Rick are you expecting this marriage to last?"

"Just ignore them" Rick whispered as he lifted his daughter into his arms and began to walk through the crowd as Kate remained silently close to him, desperately trying to ignore the people who were surrounding her; asking all the questions she'd desperately asked. Turning the corner, Kate sighed as the crowds of reporters began to get smaller while the groups of ordinary people increased. "We're going to have to get used to that, they go crazy when they know a wedding is around" he admitted.

"They're going to follow me everywhere, aren't they Rick?" she sighed as he nodded before putting Alexis down and kissing Kate gently.

"Just don't tell them anything and they'll go away before you know it" he explained, turning another corner as they began to finally approach Alexis' school. Watching as the redhead ran off at the sight of her friends, Rick laughed as he wrapped his arms tightly around his girlfriend, the two of them watching as Alexis disappeared inside the school.

"I hear congratulations are in order Rick, Kate" Ashley's father stated as he approached them, Kate groaning as she wrapped her arms around her fiancé while the older man looked her up and down for a moment.

"Thank you, we're really excited" Rick smiled as the brunette nodded, not wanting to talk to the man in front of them.

"Rick we need to get going" Kate stated as the writer nodded and said goodbye to the other man before he began to walk off with the cop. "I hate that man Rick, I honestly hate him" she moaned when they reached a distance where Ashley's father couldn't hear them.

"Why?" Rick asked.

"He tried to hit on me when I first met him and now he keeps checking me out whenever we're here Rick" the brunette admitted as anger covered the writer's face at the idea. "Now birthday boy, let's go and get some breakfast" she stated as she laced her fingers with his before kissing him gently. "I love you".

"I love you too perfect ass" he declared, her eyes rolling as his hands moved towards her ass for a moment.

"Hands off, the whole of New York already thinks you're an ass addict" she teased as he shrugged. "Hands off my ass Rick, hands off" she moaned as he nodded and slowly removed his hands from her ass before relaxing. "You can touch it as much as you like tonight when we're in private celebrating the fact that you're another year older".

"Lucky me" he smiled before kissing her again and leading her towards the nearest coffee shop so they could eat.

XOOXOXOXOXOXO

"Here they are the two love birds" Javier smiled as he sat at Kate's desk and watched as the brunette walked in with the writer cuddled up beside her. "I read an interesting article on you two in the paper this morning".

"What you mean by that Javi is that Lanie was reading it in bed and you read it over her shoulder because you had nothing better to do" Kate smirked as he shrugged. "Anyway the paper was only discussing how we're getting married".

"It was also about how Rick appreciates perfection and believes that your ass is perfection Kate, Lanie and I found that bit hysterical and so has everyone else we talked about it with" he declared as Kate groaned and glared up at the writer who quickly kissed her before taking a step away from her.

"I will see you later" he smiled as she nodded.

"Oh yeah happy birthday Rick, we'll give you your present at dinner tonight" Javier declared as the writer nodded, stealing another kiss for the brunette before he left the precinct. Moving towards her chair, Kate sighed as Javier moved and allowed her to sit down. "Royce is having a moan" he admitted as Kate stared at him in confusion. "He read the article too and is annoyed that you haven't told him".

"For god's sake, it's my wedding, I can tell who I want" she moaned, hearing some clear their voice as she turned her to see Royce standing behind her with his arms crossed. "Morning" she whispered.

"I read that I needed to congratulate someone about their engagement even though they failed to tell me" he stated as the brunette sighed and forced a smile onto her face. "So Beckett, you're getting married to your writer" he declared as she nodded slowly, unable to stop herself from smiling at the idea. "You're very young to get married, don't you want to life live a little more?" he commented as she groaned.

"If one more person tells me that I'm going to shoot them, I mean it" she warned. "I want to marry Rick and I don't care about whether I'm nineteen or a hundred and eighty" she laughed before staring at her paperwork. "Now do we have a case or am I doing paperwork today?" she asked as the older man laughed at her.

"Case just come through, so get off that perfect ass of yours Beckett".

"I'm going to kill him for that, I'm honestly going to kill him" she moaned before standing up.

XOOXOXXOXOOX

Chasing their subject, Kate groaned as the man turned the corner, her body speeding up as she turned and found herself stopping as she stared down at the gun the man was holding at her; pointed right at her head. She just stopped. Completely blank of what to do! Moving her hand towards her own gun, Kate watched as their suspect's finger tightened around the trigger.

"Put her hands up where I can see them" he declared as she slowly lifted them away from her gun, fear taking over her as she thought about everything. She thought about what she'd miss if his finger tightened just a little more around the trigger. She would love her father alone with no one in the world. She would leave Alexis without a mother. She would leave Rick! She would leave Rick without a fiancée to get married to and a woman to have the babies they had planned on having with in the future. She would just be wiped out of everything because of one man's finger.


	27. Chapter 27

Rushing into the precinct, the writer quickly approached the break room and slowly entered the room to see the brunette curled up in the corner of the couch as Royce walked over to her with a mug of coffee in his hands. Rick had received a phone call barely ten minutes ago saying that he needed to come to precinct and he had practically run from his apartment to get there because of the worry that had filled Royce's voice when he told Rick to come.

"Katie?" Rick whispered as the brunette stared up at him with tears in her eyes as he walked over to her and quickly sat down beside her before pulling her onto his lap. "What happened?" he asked as she slowly shook her head, not wanting to talk about it as she cuddled up against him. Looking up at the older man who was watching them, the writer sighed as he mouthed thank you before relaxing back with her in his arms. "You need to talk to me" he whispered to her when Royce left the room, allowing them to be alone.

"We were chasing a subject and I was faster than Royce, I wanted to prove that I could do it and he pulled a gun on me" she admitted as shock covered his face. "He didn't shoot or anything, he just pointed it at my head and all I could think about was all the people I would be leaving behind if anything happened to me Rick" she sobbed as he nodded slowly, his thumb moving to wipe the tears away from her face as she attempted to calm down. "Royce has given me the day off to calm down, get my head back where it should be" she admitted.

"Then let's get out of here" he stated, her head nodding slowly as she stood up nervously and took hold of his hand. "We don't need to get Alexis from school for another three hours so we can do anything you like" he declared as she nodded and curled up beside him. "Where do you want to go? We can go to the loft or…" he suggested as she gently kissed him.

"I want to go somewhere busy, somewhere with lots of people, I just want lots of noise" she declared as he nodded, knowing where to take her as they walked out of the room together while his arms tightened around her; wanting desperately to keep her safe.

XOXOOXOXOXXO

Lying on the grass, Kate sighed as she turned her head to look at the writer who was lying beside her while reading the latest draft of his new book. Smiling as he finished the chapter, Kate sighed as she quickly took hold of his hand and brought it to her lips briefly before moving closer to him as her eyes shut.

"I want to get married in the summer or autumn" she admitted as he smiled, amazed that she was discussing their wedding without someone prodding him. "I want it to be small, only the people we really care about because otherwise it'll be a stupid event full of people we can't even remember the names of" she explained as he nodded, enjoying hearing everything she wanted for their big day. "Alexis is of course going to be my flower girl because she'll be so adorable and I know she wants to be involved in the wedding and Jenny and Lanie are my bridesmaids".

"That's good because I'm going to ask both Javier and Kevin to be my best men because I can't choose between the two, they have so many qualities between them that will make them both perfect for the role" he declared as the brunette smiled and nodded, suddenly feeling slightly excitement about their wedding. "Have you thought about your dress Katie?" he asked.

"I don't know what I want Rick, I've tried looking on my own but I can't find anything I want or even like in the slightest" she explained as he nodded slowly and held her close as she moved to rest her head on his chest. "I'm going to be a nightmare bride, I'm so picky about things" she laughed as he slowly ran his fingers through her hair.

"I don't care about that, this is your dream day Kate and I'm only planning on you doing it once" he declared as she stared up at the sky. "You're my always Kate Beckett so this day has to be perfect" he admitted as she turned to face him before gently kissing him as his hand ran down her back.

"It could be pouring with rain, I could be dressed in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and everything imaginable could be going wrong and it would still be perfect because we'd be getting married Rick" she explained as he smiled up at her. "The wedding is just the party but getting married is the only part I'm interested in".

"You're so wonderfully perfect, did you know that?" he asked as she laughed and shrugged before kissing him gently and relaxing beside him; the two of them staring up at the sky as they thought about everything. "I could have lost you today Katie" he whispered as her eyes shut to stop herself from crying again at the idea. "I could have lost the love of my life today" he mumbled as she shook her head.

"You didn't Rick, I'm still here. We can get on with our lives like it never happened and just enjoy your birthday and then planning our wedding and then married life together" she explained as he stared down at her, now seeing that she was staring at him in a strange desperation.

"What about when it happens again Kate? Or when it happens and the person actually shoots you?" he asked as he tightened his arms around her. "We're a family, we have a six year old daughter Kate, we're going to have children of our own in the future" he explained as she nodded slowly, knowing that she wanted to have children with him one day. "What do I tell them when I find out their mommy's been shot and she's either injured or dead?" he asked.

"I don't know" she whispered, tears running down her cheeks as she buried her face into his chest. "I don't want to think about it, it's a danger of the job and we both knew that before I started" she explained.

"But there's a difference between knowing about it Kate and it actually happening" he explained as his voice remained surprisingly calm. "It just scares me that I could have lost you so easily and everything we planned would have just ended because of one man" he admitted as she nodded, understanding completely how he was feeling. Her mother had been forced away from her and she didn't want to put her six year old girl through that pain as well.

"What should I do? Quit the force?" she asked as he shook his head. "Rick it's always going to be a danger but Royce is there to protect me and I know how to protect myself, today I just froze because it was new. I know how to deal with it now" she stated as she gently leant across to kiss him. "I will always try and come home to you Rick" she whispered, hoping desperately that it would always happen. "I don't know whether it will happen but I promise you that I will always try to be there, I won't ever give up on coming home to my family" she declared, burying her face into his t-shirt as he held her close, hoping desperately that she was being honest.

XOOXOXOXXOO

"I thought we had reservations at that restaurant down the road" Lanie commented as she entered the apartment that evening with Javier to see Alexis colouring in pictures beside Jenny who was smiling and helping her while Kevin talked to Martha and Jim. "What's the plan for tonight then if we're not going out?" the student asked, desperate to catch up with what was going on.

"Kate and I are cooking tonight" Rick called out from the kitchen, groaning when Kate's elbow hit him lightly in the ribs. "I take that back, Kate is cooking and I'm helping her when she allows me too" he smiled as the brunette nodded and gently kissed him while Martha and Jim smiled proudly at their children; enjoying the fact that they were both happy.

"Happy birthday Rick, I'm sorry that it hasn't been better" Kate whispered as he smiled and tightly wrapped his arms around her; not wanting to let her go. "I love you" she mumbled as she began to cut up the vegetables, his eyes watching as she carefully sliced every vegetable, desperate to make something of their day perfect.

"I love you too" he declared, pressing a kiss into her hair before moving away slowly, allowing her to continue cooking while he walked over to his friends who smiled at him.

"So what have you got so far then Rick?" Kevin asked as the writer smiled.

"Some books from my wonderful daughter, my mother bought me some funny t-shirts and Kate bought me the most amazing watch" he explained as everyone nodded before Javier slowly walked into the kitchen and stared at the brunette for a moment.

"Royce came to see me today" he declared as Kate groaned, unaware that her father was listening from where he was standing. "How are you doing?" he asked.

"Fine thank you, now can we forget that it happened?" Kate declared, forcing a smile on her face as she stared at her friend; desperately wanting to forget the incident so she could get on with celebrating her boyfriend's birthday.

"Kate you were almost shot" Javier declared, the room falling sound at the sound of a glass smashing. Turning, Kate quickly looked across to see the glass her father had been holding shattered on the floor while he remained silent.

"Dad?" Kate asked as she walked towards him. "Daddy?" she whispered as her hand ran across his shoulder while the older man stared down at her. "What's wrong dad?" she asked, hoping that he would talk to her.

"You were almost shot" he whispered, Kate turning quickly to glare across at the other man as her father quickly wrapped his arms around her. "You were almost shot" he whispered again in shock, holding her close as he felt his body fill with fear. He couldn't lose Kate too; he'd lost his wife and he couldn't lose his daughter as well.

"But I wasn't dad, I'm fine" she declared, hating that she had to have this conversation with another person. "He didn't even shoot everyone's just being dramatic about the whole thing" she declared; her voice louder than expected.

"Someone tried to shoot you mommy?" Alexis asked as Kate bit into her lip, not surprised when the redhead ran over and tightly wrapped her arms around her. Hearing sobbing, Kate sighed as she knelt down and stared at the six year old who had tears already running down her cheeks. "I don't want to lose you mommy" Alexis sobbed as Kate lifted her into her arms before sighing, hating that the idea of it was putting her family through so much pain.

"You're not going to lose me baby" Kate whispered as Rick sighed, gently walking over to kneel down beside them as everyone else fell silent. "None of you are going to lose me so please stop worrying about it" she stated as she continued to hold Alexis in her arms before staring across at the writer and then up at the rest of their family. "Come on, it's Rick's birthday stop being depressing" she declared, standing up as she continued to hold Alexis in her arms while the writer forced a smile on his face.

"I'll finish dinner" he stated.

"But it's your…" she began as he shook his head, not caring that it was his birthday.

"Be with our daughter, she needs you more than my birthday does Kate" he declared, kissing her gently as his fingers ran through Alexis' hair before approaching the kitchen.

"Want to go talk?" Kate asked gently as the redhead nodded and cuddled up against her. Excusing herself, Kate slowly entered her bedroom with Alexis in her arms before sitting down on the bed with the six year old. "What do you want to talk about sweetheart?" Kate asked as Alexis climbed onto her lap and curled up in her arms.

"I don't want to lose you mommy" she whispered as Kate shut her eyes and buried her face into the redhead's hair. "I don't want to lose you" she sobbed as Kate continued to hold her, desperately trying not to cry again.

"You're not going to lose me sweetheart, I'm never going to leave you Lex I promise" Kate mumbled as she pressed a kiss to Alexis' forehead and slowly lay down on the bed with the redhead curled beside her. "Why don't we go outside and have dinner with everyone?" she asked as the redhead shook her head, clinging onto the detective's shirt as Kate sighed, knowing that the shooting had shaken everyone up more than she'd imagined. "Sweetheart it's daddy's birthday, we need to go and celebrate".

"I don't want too, I want to stay with you" she whispered.

"I'm not saying that we don't spend the evening together sweetheart, all I'm saying is we go outside and spend time with everyone else as well; especially your daddy" Kate declared as the redhead nodded before moving to sit up. "I love you my beautiful girl, I love you" the brunette whispered as Alexis smiled and relaxed when Kate gently pressed a kiss into her hair. "Come on, dinner should be ready soon if your daddy hasn't been playing around with it".

"Daddy will have been playing with it mommy, he can't leave anything alone" Alexis stated as Kate laughed and walked out of the room with her. Staring across the room, Kate sighed as she stared at the pizza boxes that were littering the table. "Told you so" Alexis smiled.

"You defiantly did" Kate declared before leaning down to kiss her hair. "What happened to the dinner I was making Rick?" the brunette asked as she crossed her arms and stared at him in confusion as he smiled up at her.

"Remember that I love you Katie when I tell you what I did" he declared as Kate nodded slowly. "I may have accidentally poured a whole pot of oregano into it" he announced as she groaned and shut her eyes.

"Only you Rick, only you" Kate smiled as she walked over and sat down beside him while everyone else laughed.

"How are things with Alexis?" Rick whispered into her ear as the brunette looked across at the redhead who had squeezed into the space beside her.

"I think we're both learning that mommy isn't invincible" Kate whispered as the writer nodded and tightly wrapped an arm around her before looking across at everyone else. "Javier Esposito, don't even contemplate eating all that pizza, I want some of that" Kate ordered as Lanie laughed, staring across at the writer as she reached across for the pizza box. "Give me the pizza and you won't get hurt" she teased as everyone beamed.

**So what do you think? I don't like this chapter, I've rewritten it hundreds of times but this is the best I came up with so hopefully you like it. **

**I'm worried slightly because reviews have gone down but I think that worry is mainly based upon the fact I haven't left my house in a week and I'm starting to get extremely bored and reviews keep me interested. **


	28. Chapter 28

**Dedicated to Newsies73- thank you for reviewing and good luck in whatever career you chose to do. Your review was honestly amazing to read. **

Hearing the bedroom door creak open, Kate turned to see the writer slowly walking towards her with a mug in one of his hands while holding a plate in the other one. Smiling at her for a moment, the writer smiled as he quickly sat down beside her and passed her the mug which clearly smelt of strong coffee.

"I thought you might need it sweetheart" he explained as Kate nodded and sighed before sitting up and taking a sip of the warm liquid. "And I made you some toast, I don't want you going hungry on your shopping trip Katie" he declared as she smiled and leant across to gently kiss him before she sighed and took a bite from the toast he'd made.

"You're one of the only people I know who can make toast exactly the way I like" she commented as he laughed and moved to sit beside her.

"Because it's so complicated to make toast Katie" Rick teased as she shrugged and gently kissed him before returning to her breakfast. "I don't want you to go out today, I like having you all to myself" the writer explained as the brunette sighed and shut her eyes; not enjoying the idea of wedding dress shopping with Martha and Lanie.

"I would rather stay here with you but unless I want to get married in jeans this is a vital part of the whole wedding thing" Kate laughed as he nodded and stared at her for a moment, unable to stop himself from smiling at how beautiful she was. "Thank you for breakfast" Kate whispered as she finished her toast and gently pressed a kiss to his cheek before relaxing beside him as his arms wrapped around her. "Wedding dress shopping" she sighed as she shut her eyes and buried herself underneath the blanket while the writer laughed and slid down to find her.

"You'll have fun when you get into it" he stated as she shook her head and stared at him before leaning across to kiss him. Deepening the kiss, the writer sighed as he pulled her closer and held her for a moment as they continued to kiss. Moving his hands, the writer smiled as he slowly moved his fingers towards the bottom of her t-shirt before slowly pulling it up and off her. "Hello beautiful" he smiled, his lips moving down to kiss her neck as she ran her fingers through his hair.

"You're wearing too many clothes Rick" she moaned as he laughed against her neck for a moment.

"I thought you had to go and buy a wedding dress for our wedding today Katie" he commented as she shrugged and began to run her fingers down his chest.

"I guess I could wear some jeans or something" she commented before kissing him again, her fingers moving to push away his boxers as they heard the door creak open.

"Katherine Beckett get out from under that blanket and get dressed, we have shopping to do and you're not getting out of this" Martha stated as both the writer and cop groaned before moving away from each other while desperately attempting to remain under the blanket. "Now" the redhead nodded.

"Can you leave the room first mother? We would like some privacy to get changed" Rick asked as he looked across at his fiancée who had her teeth in her lip to stop herself from laughing while her eyes remained firmly closed in embarrassment.

"I guess I can give you some privacy but if you're not dressed in ten minutes Kate then I'm coming in" the actress stated before leaving the room; the sound of the door shutting making both Kate and Rick laugh in embarrassment.

"You better get ready, if she threatens something then she usually means it" the writer declared as the brunette nodded and slid out of the bed; quickly moving to find herself something to wear. "I love you" Rick smiled as he looked across at her and sighed, unable to take his eyes off her as she reached into the wardrobe and pulled out a shirt. "I love that shirt on you" he commented.

"No you like taking the shirt off me Rick" the brunette laughed as she turned to look at him for a moment before laughing. "Now leave me to get dressed, go and see Alexis or something" she smiled as the writer nodded and kissed her before disappearing out of the room, giving her the chance to get dressed.

XOOXOXOXOXOXOO

Feeling her friend push her into the shop, Kate laughed as she stared at the collection of dresses around her. Lanie and Martha had stated that she was going to find her wedding dress today and had dragged her to the best dress shop in New York. Staring at the collections, Kate sighed as the medical student quickly walked over to the first dress she saw and held it out for the brunette to see.

"That's lovely Kate you have to try it on. You have the perfect figure to wear it" Martha smiled as Kate slowly nodded, taking in the excessive amounts of sparkles that covered every area of the large dress. Taking the dress from her friend, Kate sighed as she slowly carried it towards the dressing room and disappeared behind the door. Staring at herself in the mirror, Kate sighed as she slowly began to remove the clothes she'd put on earlier.

"Try it on Kate, what's the harm?" she whispered to herself as she kicked off her jeans and slowly reached across for the dress; sighing as she slowly began to dress herself in it. Staring at herself when she had finally finished, the brunette sighed as she turned slightly and shook her head; hating how the dress clung to her breasts while going out at her waist in a large sparkly skirt.

"Kate hurry up, I want to see it" Lanie moaned from outside as Kate laughed and slowly walked out. "Wow you look like a princess, you look absolutely stunning" the medical student teased as Kate sighed and rested her hands on her hips, hating everything about the dress Lanie chose except for one thing.

"At least it makes my boobs look bigger" she teased as everyone smiled and laughed at her. "I'm sorry Lanie but I don't like this, I think it'll be a miracle if I can get out of the car in this. I don't really want a dress that is this huge" she explained as the medical student nodded before Martha moved to look through the available selection. Pulling out another dress, the redhead smiled as she held it out towards the brunette.

"Go swap Kate" the redhead teased as the brunette nodded slowly as she disappeared into the dressing room as Lanie followed carrying the dress Martha had chosen. Removing the dress she was already wearing, Kate sighed as she changed dresses and stared at herself. "What do you think?" Martha called over the thing as Kate sighed and turned, allowing herself to see most of the dress in the mirror. She couldn't say that the dress wasn't beautiful; it was stunning and she was sure it would look perfect on someone else but it didn't feel right on her. "Kate get your ass out here, we need to see right now" she stated as the brunette laughed and slowly walked out of the room as shock covered both women's faces.

"You look amazing girl" Lanie commented as Kate sighed and turned slowly, both women immediately noticing that she wasn't impressed with the dress. "What's wrong with this one Kate?" the medical student asked. "It doesn't show off your perfect ass enough?" she asked as Kate sighed, still hating Rick more than ever for making that comment.

"It just doesn't feel right" Kate whispered.

"But you look amazing Kate" Lanie moaned, sitting down as Martha laughed. "Kate you honestly look stunning in that dress, I don't see what's wrong with you" she declared as the brunette sighed, staring down at herself before looking across at herself in the mirror.

"It just doesn't feel right Lanie" the brunette explained as she ran her fingers across the material. "I want it to feel perfect and it doesn't Lanie, it just doesn't feel right" she stated as both women sighed, frustration starting to build up within them as they continued to watch her watch herself in the mirror.

"Maybe it's because you don't feel ready to get married yet Kate" Lanie suggested as shock covered Kate's face before she stared down at her ring before smiling.

"You're wrong, I want to get married, I want to marry Rick" she stated before moving away from the mirror. "I just don't want to marry him in this dress" she moaned, shutting the door behind her as Martha and Lanie exchanged looks before sighing and sitting down in the chairs.

"We're not going to find the dress today are we?" Lanie asked as Martha slowly shook her head.

XOXOOXOXOXXO

"I hate dress shopping" Kate declared as she entered the dinner and sat down at the booth that the writer was already sat in with his daughter drawing beside him. "I absolutely hate dress shopping" the brunette moaned as Rick looked up at her and smiled before taking hold of her hand and gently kissing her fingers.

"Didn't find the perfect dress then?" the writer asked as she quickly shook her head and smiled down at Alexis and the drawing she was doing.

"What are you drawing sweetheart?" Kate smiled as the redhead slowly passed her the drawing before Kate looked down at the image as Alexis crawled under the table and quickly sat down beside the brunette. "Want to explain it to me sweetheart?" the brunette asked.

"It's your wedding day mommy" the redhead explained before kissing him gently. "There are you and daddy mommy" the six years old explained as she pointed at two of the figures. "And there's grams and your daddy and Javi and Kevin and Lanie and Jenny" she admitted as the writer nodded smiled across, watching as Kate stared at the image in amazement, knowing that the redhead was excited about the wedding.

"It looks perfect sweetheart" Kate smiled before she gently pressed a kiss into the six year's old before staring at the dress that Alexis had put her in in the image. "Why am I wearing bright pink Lex?" she asked.

"The white wasn't working properly mommy so I wanted to make you wear something bright and colourful" she stated as Kate nodded and held her close before kissing her cheek while Rick just watched, glad to see Kate finally relaxing.

"Right this is not the time for wedding talk, this is family time" Rick declared as both Alexis and Kate nodded. "Now I think I want the biggest burger around, I'm starving".

**Hopefully you like the chapter and I hope to hear from you because it means so much to me when you review and tell me everything you liked and disliked about the chapters. I want to improve and I want to write a story where you enjoy reading it and I enjoy writing it which is obviously what I love doing at the moment. **


	29. Chapter 29

**This chapter is dedicated to Shannon Jethro Gideon Snape! I'm glad that my chapters make getting up in the morning that much better! Also how do you write that name all the time? It's so long, I would forget parts! Anyway I hope you like the chapter and this makes you happy whether you're getting up when you read it or not! **

Collapsing on her father's couch, Kate sighed as the older man quickly pulled her shoes off like he used to do when she was a child before he threw her shoes onto the floor before staring at her as she shut her eyes and groaned. Rick was in a meeting with Gina and Paula and Alexis was with Paige for the day so Kate had decided to spend the day with her father before joining the writer for an evening alone while Martha took the younger redhead out to the theatre for the opening of a new show.

"So how's the wedding planning going?" Jim asked, already knowing that Kate hated it more than anything in the world. Turning to look at her father, Kate groaned before throwing a pillow across at him and staring up at the ceiling. "Come on, what's the matter with wedding planning? You know it'll be worth it in the end" he whispered as Kate slowly sat up and fiddled with the ring she was wearing.

"I can't find the perfect dress daddy, everything I look at is wrong and all I want is for the dress to be perfect. I don't care about anything else" Kate stated as the older man nodded and smiled, walking towards her quickly before taking hold of her hand and pulling her off the couch. "What are you doing? I was comfortable there" Kate moaned as he began to drag her out of the room. "Dad where are we going?" the brunette whined as he laughed and stopped for a moment as she stared at him.

"I thought you'd matured Katherine Beckett, having a daughter and fiancé now" he commented as she shook her head and laughed before sticking her tongue out at him. "Come on, I want to show you something Katie" he admitted as she nodded and walked over to him, his arms wrapping around her as she walked with him into the main bedroom of the apartment. Sitting down on the edge of the bed, Kate sighed as she watched her father remove a box from the bottom of the wardrobe before resting it on the bed.

"What's this?" Kate asked in confusion.

"This is everything to do with the James and Johanna wedding Katie" he smiled as Kate slowly watched him remove the lid before slipping the piece of material away to reveal the things he had saved. "Your grandmother gave these to your mom. It was her something new" the older man admitted as he lifted the royal blue box out and passed it to her as she slowly removed the lid and stared at the diamond earrings that she remembered from the pictures of her parents wedding day. "Maybe you'd like them to be your something old" he suggested as shock covered Kate's face.

"Really?" the brunette asked as her father nodded.

"Your mother would have wanted you to have them Katie, I knew she planned to give them to you at some point" he explained as Kate smiled and gently lifted the earrings up and placed them on before moving towards the mirror to look at them. "You're so beautiful Katie, you remind me so much of your mother" he admitted as he walked over to her and gently pressed a kiss to her cheek as she smiled and sighed.

"Can I see mom's dress again daddy?" Kate asked as the older man nodded and walked towards the wardrobe to remove the dress that was hidden underneath a cover. Resting it on the bed, the older man sighed as he slowly unzipped the cover and lifted out the white dress, smiling at the white dress that he remembered so well. "She looked so beautiful didn't she?" the brunette mumbled as her fingers gently ran across the material as Jim watched her in amazement.

"Try it on" Jim stated as confusion covered her face as she turned to look at her father. "Try it on" he declared as she bit into her lip for a moment before nodding, unable to resist the opportunity to try on her mother's wedding dress. "I'll wait in the living room for you" Jim stated as he walked out and shut the door behind him while the excitement continued to build up in his daughter. Slipping out of her clothes, Kate quickly dressed herself before attempting to do the buttons at the back.

"Dad" she called out as the door creaked open and the older man entered the room. "Can you do the buttons for me?" she asked as he nodded and walked towards him, slowly doing every button as he stared at her reflection in the mirror, pride covering his face as he took in how perfect his daughter looked. "What do you think?" she asked.

"You look wonderful" he whispered as she ran her hands across the side of the dress.

"It just feels perfect dad" she mumbled as she stared at their reflection and sighed. "Mom had amazing taste" Kate commented as her father laughed at the idea. "What?" she asked.

"It took your mother forever to find her dress" he admitted as shock covered Kate's face. "She hated everything, your grandmother kept trying to get her in some disgusting dress so she locked herself in the dressing room and waited until her mother got bored and left" he explained as Kate laughed at the idea. "You defiantly inherited your mother's stubborn streak Kate" he smiled as his daughter nodded and stared at herself in the mirror. "You should wear this if it feels perfect" he admitted as she felt the shock cover her face again.

"Really?" she whispered as he nodded and gently pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"You look so beautiful Katie, absolutely stunning" he declared as she felt the tears appear in her eyes as he gently brushed her hair away from her face. "I can't get over how beautiful you look Katie" he laughed as she smiled and quickly wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled.

"Can I really wear this?" she asked as he nodded.

"If it feels right, wear it Katie. You look stunning and your mom would be glad to see someone wearing this. She always moaned when we were planning for our wedding that a wedding dress was stupid because you spent so much money on a dress you wore once and then clung onto because you didn't want to get rid of it" he smiled as she laughed and gently turned to stare at herself again. "I guess this is what you're going to look like on your wedding day Katie" he admitted as she bit into her lip and nodded slowly.

"This just feels right dad" she smiled as he nodded and slowly moved away to look at her properly, amazed at how perfectly the dress fitted her.

"You look so much like your mother right now" he sighed after falling silent for a moment. "You've always looked like her, dark hair and her eyes but right now you remind me so much of her" he admitted as tears ran down his cheeks. Running her thumb to her father's cheek, Kate smiled as she gently pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"I love you daddy and she always loved you, she never stopped loving you daddy" Kate whispered as he held her close for a moment, desperately wanting to keep her close. "She never stopped loving us daddy and she still loves us, wherever she is" she admitted as he nodded and pressed a kiss into her hair, unable to stop himself from wanting to keep his little girl close to him so he could keep her safe from all the pain in the world.

"My beautiful little girl" he whispered as she shut her eyes. "My beautiful little girl".

XOXOXOXXOXOXO

Entering the grave yard, Kate sighed as she approached the area she needed to be, her body taking her there while her mind walked in a different direction. She couldn't get used to the idea of being here to see her mother. She wasn't even going to see her mother! She was going to see the stone that stated where she was buried but it wasn't her, it wasn't her mother anymore. Standing in front of the stone, Kate sighed as she wrapped her arms around herself before kneeling down and brushing the dead flowers away from grave.

"Hey mom" Kate whispered as she ran her fingers across her mother's name. "I'm getting married mom, I'm marrying Rick" she laughed as tears gently ran down her cheeks. She wanted to hear her mother's excitement at the idea, she wanted to see her mother react in the same way that Martha had. "I want to marry Rick, I'm excited about becoming Mrs Castle but I wish you were here. You know what you're doing, everyone around me except for Rick and dad hasn't been married before and I just need you to keep me sane" she sobbed as tears ran down her cheeks before resting her head against the cold stone. "You always knew how to make things easier mommy, you knew how to organise and plan and shop although Martha defiantly knows how the shop, she can drag it out for hours" she laughed as she sighed and fell silent. "I'm getting married mommy and I just need to know that you think I'm doing the right thing, that you give us your blessing" she stated, unable to stop herself from crying as she let all her emotions over take her.

XOOXOXOXOXOXO

"Honey I'm home" Kate laughed as she entered the apartment and felt amazement cover her face. Most of the surfaces in the apartment were covered in candles and soft jazz music was playing in the background as she began to remove her coat. "Rick?" she asked, slowly moving towards the kitchen as she rested her coat on the back of the couch and stared at the table that was laid to perfection. "Okay what's going on?" she laughed as she heard a door creak, forcing her to turn to see the writer walking towards her. "Come on tell me, what's with all the candles and the music?" she asked, squealing when he lifted her into the air.

"I'm spoiling you tonight" he declared as she laughed and looked down at him before gently kissed him before her feet gently touched the ground. "Tonight is about removing all the stress you've been under Kate, no more wedding talk" he stated as she nodded and kissed him again, unable to stop herself from smiling as he led her towards the table and pulled a chair out for her. "Now Officer Beckett, I've prepared you a wonderful Chinese takeout" he joked as she rolled her eyes and watched as he brought the bag of take out towards her.

"Wow, you prepared all this food just for me Rick" she laughed as he nodded and began to serve the food to her. Watching as he finished serving the food, the brunette smiled as she grabbed hold of his shirt and gently pulled him down before she stole a quick kiss from him before allowing him to sit in his own chair. "This is amazing Rick, thank you" she smiled, the writer shrugging as he began to eat, unable to stop himself from watching her for a moment.

"Something's changed, you seem calmer" he stated as she nodded and beamed at him. "Tell me" he laughed.

"I found the dress" she stated as shock covered his face. "I found my dream dress Rick, I finally found it and it was right under my nose" the brunette laughed as he cheered.

"Finally Kate, finally".

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOO

"I've missed this" Kate admitted as she rested back against him in the bath and shut her eyes while his fingers brushed across her stomach. "I've missed just having time for us, we've needed it more than ever at the moment" she declared as Rick nodded and gently pressed a kiss into her barely cherry scented hair.

"So where did you find this mystery dress of yours?" Rick asked after a few moments of silence.

"I'm not going to tell you Rick, the groom shouldn't know anything about the dress. It's tradition and I'm not going to break it" she smiled as the writer nodded and smiled before gently drawing circles on her stomach with his finger. "It's perfect though, it's the perfect dress" she smiled as he nodded, laughing when she turned slightly and pressed a kiss to the end of his nose before relaxing against him again, unable to stop herself from smiling. "Tell me a story".

"You want me to tell you a story?" he asked in confusion as she nodded.

"I don't care what it's about Rick, just tell me a story" she whispered as he laughed and attempted to think of something to tell her. "Something nice though, no zombies or vampires or murders" she added as he laughed before nodding, beginning to make something up as she listened to him in amazement, loving every word he made up in the unique plot.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Sitting up in the bed, Kate gasped as she looked across the room to see the writer lying fast asleep in the space beside her as she desperately attempted to catch her breath back. She'd dreamt of her wedding day. She'd dreamt of her mother being there, crying in her seat as Jim led her down the aisle proudly while Rick waited at the end of the aisle with the largest smile covering his face. Feeling the tears run down her cheeks, Kate groaned as she reached across for Rick's shirt and pulled it over her naked body before sliding out of their bedroom in silence. The dream had shaken her and she hated it. She hadn't dreamt about her mother in a long time and the idea of it had unnerved her again. Entering the writer's office, the cop sighed as she climbed into Rick's chair and turned the desk light on before relaxing back and shutting her eyes.

"Mom" Kate mumbled, not noticing the door open as the writer joined her in the office; watching her in confusion as the tears ran down her cheeks.

"Katie?" Rick asked, her eyes flying open as the writer walked towards her and leant across to kiss her forehead gently. "What's wrong? Talk to me Kate" he begged, staring at her as she stared at him before finding his hand and clutching onto it in desperation.

"I dreamt of our wedding, I dreamt of our wedding but my mom was there Rick, she was there and she was so happy for us" she admitted as he nodded slowly, hating seeing her so emotional. "She was smiling at the wedding and crying when I walked down the aisle and she gave us her blessing and Rick I want her back so much" she blurted out as she moved out of the chair and sat down on the floor beside him as his arms tightly wrapped around her to protect her. "I want her to be here, I want her to help me into my dress and to give me those little bits of advice only a mother can give, I want her to watch me get married".

"She is going to be watching you Kate, she's going to be watching you from wherever she is" he mumbled as she shook her head.

"I want her to be there Rick, I want her to be in that front row with my father, crying while she watches us gets married and promise to spend our lives together" she admitted as he nodded, understanding that this was going to be a difficult time for his fiancée. "It seemed so real Rick, it was like she was really there" she explained as she gently rested her head against his chest. "She was there Rick".

"I know sweetheart but it was a dream" he mumbled, hating that he had to destroy the perfect idea Kate had made in her dreams. "It wasn't real, your mom isn't here anymore Katie, I'm sorry sweetheart but she's gone" he mumbled as she felt the tears increase.

"All I seem to do is cry Rick and I hate it, I hate crying" she moaned as he stared down at her, hating seeing her so emotional. "I know she's gone Rick but I wish she was here, I wish she was here to tell me all those stupid things I should know for my wedding" she declared as she shut her eyes and relaxed into him. "I want her back Rick, I want my mommy back" she mumbled.

"I want her back too" he whispered, knowing that if there was anything he could do to bring Johanna Beckett back, he would do it without a seconds thought. "I want her back too Katie".

**I hope you like this chapter and it would mean a lot to me if you would review, especially with this one because I can't decide whether I like parts of this or not. Anyway, it's up to you and I hope to hear from you soon. **


	30. Chapter 30

**Dedicated to Laura- if this can make you smile for a minute in this hard time than I've done my job properly as a friend! **

"When you get home Officer Beckett, I'm going to spoil you with the most amazing dinner and then a collection of the world famous Disney movies with our daughter" Rick smiled down the phone as Kate laughed and stared across at the clock, smiling at the fact that she had only five minutes left and then she could return home to her boyfriend and daughter and spend the evening watching movies with them.

"That sounds like heaven Rick, I can't wait" she smiled as she relaxed back in her chair and sighed, her eyes shutting for a moment. "Today's been a nightmare Rick, we're nowhere near closing the case and Royce has become an angry bastard because of it" the brunette explained as Rick sighed, hating the idea of the brunette being away from him. "When Alexis goes to bed can we have another bath together?" she whispered so no one else would hear her. "I really enjoyed that when we last did that, I think we should make that a weekly thing" she commented as he nodded in agreement.

"I like that idea to Miss Beckett" he declared. "It's a good way to talk about things, it's nice and relaxing".

"You really do sound like a girl sometimes Rick" she admitted as he fell silent, her head turning when the break room door open and Royce started to walk towards her. "Royce is coming, I'll see you in a few minutes. There better be food waiting when I get back because I'm starving" she smiled as he said goodbye to her before she quickly put the phone down and turned to look at the detective who was walking towards her. "So is it okay if I go home?" she asked as the man sat down on the edge of her desk and stared at her for a moment. "I take that as a no" she whispered.

"Sorry Beckett but we're going to do something tonight and we need you" he explained as confusion covered her face. "Katherine Beckett you're going undercover tonight, congratulations" he declared as shock replaced her confusion.

"What?" she asked.

"We need someone to go into the club where these men are and get information out of them, we need you Kate" he declared as she bit into her lip, feeling her nerves build up at the idea. "You're a gorgeous woman, we need you in a skimpy dress, a pair of high heels being unbelievably sexy and getting the attention of two very dangerous men" he explained as she stared at him. "So go home and get something sexy on and be back here in an hour".

"But I'm supposed to be at home with my family tonight" she whispered.

"Kate you're a cop, tell them you're sorry and get your ass back here in under an hour" he declared, the brunette nodding slowly as she grabbed her jacket and slowly moved towards the elevator.

XOOXOXOOXOOXOX

Entering the apartment, Kate sighed as she heard Alexis running before the redhead appeared into sight and quickly wrapped her arms tightly around the brunette. Smiling weakly, Kate sighed as she leant down and gently pressed a kiss into the brunette's hair before sighing and lifting her into her arms.

"Baby I can't stay tonight, I'm sorry" Kate whispered as confusion covered Alexis' face. "I have to go back to work but I have to change first" the brunette explained as Alexis shook her head and tightly wrapped her arms around Kate's neck, not wanting her to leave. "I know I said I'd be here tonight but this is really important and everyone needs me".

"But we need you, daddy and I need you" Alexis sobbed as Rick appeared in the doorway, worried when he saw his daughter sobbing in Kate's arms.

"Hey what's going on?" he asked as Kate looked up at him and sighed. "Lex are you okay?" he asked as she shook her head and tightened her arms around the brunette.

"Tell mommy she can't go tonight, tell her she has to stay here" Alexis ordered as Kate shut her eyes.

"What? What do you mean mommy's going out tonight?" he asked, confusion covering his face as Kate slowly opened her eyes and moved closer to him, still holding Alexis in her arms. "Kate what's going on?" he whispered as she allowed him to wrap his arms around her.

"I've just got to work tonight and I need to go and change so I'll talk to you both in a minute" the brunette explained as the writer nodded slowly and took the six year old from her with some difficulty. "We'll do it tomorrow night Lex, I promise".

"I'm not here tomorrow night, I'm sleeping round Paige's remember" the redhead commented as she pushed away from her father and disappeared upstairs.

"Kate…" Rick whispered.

"I need to get dressed" she explained, walking towards their bedroom as she began to unbutton her uniform. Entering the main bedroom, Kate sighed as she threw her uniform onto the bed before opening the wardrobe and pulling out the smallest dress she owned just as Rick entered the room.

"By the look of that dress it doesn't seem that you're going to work" he commented as she sighed and dressed herself in the tight black dress that ended mid-thigh. "What the hell is going on Kate?" he asked.

"I'm working that's all I promise, I'll be home as soon as I possibly can I promise" Kate mumbled as she walked towards the mirror and started to run her fingers through her hair. "I know we had plans but this really important for my career Rick, I could really show how good I am tonight" she stated as he nodded slowly and sighed, staring at her as she made her make up more defined before turning to look at him. "What do you think?" she asked.

"You look beautiful" he whispered as she smiled and gently kissed him before resting her forehead against his chest. "Can you please tell me why you're all dressed up though?" he asked.

"I'm going undercover Rick" she smiled in excitement as he nodded slowly, both of them knowing that he was nervous about the idea. "I'm going to be fine; other people are going to be there too. I just have to get our suspects to notice me and things like that, it'll be fine I promise" she whispered before kissing him again. "Now where are my shoes?" she asked.

"The huge heel ones that you never wear?" he asked as she nodded. "Under the bed" he explained as she nodded and bent down to grab them. "Don't do that when you go out tonight" he whispered as confusion covered her face.

"Do what?" she asked.

"Lean down, it makes your ass even more perfect than normal Katie" he explained as she laughed and turned to look at him. "Isn't there anyone else who can do this?" he asked as she began to put her shoes on and shook her head.

"As Royce said I'm a gorgeous woman and they need me in a skimpy dress and high heels" she mumbled as he nodded and sighed, knowing that he couldn't disagree with Mike Royce on the fact that Kate was a gorgeous woman. "I love you writer man" she declared as he nodded and gently kissed her again.

"I love you too cop woman" he joked as she smiled and laughed before walking out of their bedroom with him. "Are you sure you don't have a dress that's a little less tight and a bit longer? I'm not comfortable with the idea of all these men ogling my fiancée" he explained as she laughed and looked up to see Alexis sat on the stairs. "I bet they've made this undercover thing up so they can stare at your ass".

"Richard Castle" Kate warned before moving towards the stairs and climbing up them. "Hey" Kate mumbled as she sat down beside the redhead. "I'll be here when you get up in the morning, I'll even make you a pancake breakfast" the brunette stated as she wrapped her arms around Alexis. "I love you sweetheart".

"Then why can't you stay?" she asked as Kate shut her eyes and attempted to think of an answer.

"Because someone else needs me more than you do tonight" Kate admitted as Alexis nodded slowly. "You've got to look after your daddy for me tonight, we can't have him missing me too much tonight" the brunette explained as Alexis nodded again. "Promise you'll look after your dad tonight" she whispered.

"I promise" Alexis smiled before leaning up and pressing a kiss to Kate's cheek. "I love you mommy".

"I love you too" Kate declared before standing up and staring down at Rick who was watching them from the bottom of the stairs. "I need to go" she admitted as both Castle's groaned. "I will see you in the morning" Kate smiled as she gently pressed a kiss into Alexis' hair before walking downstairs and wrapping her arms around the writer. "And I will see you when I get in because you'll sit up all night worrying" she laughed as he shrugged and kissed her again, hating the whole idea of her going undercover but knowing they couldn't avoid it. "Tell me you love me".

"Always" he muttered before stealing another kiss and watching as she walked out of the apartment.

XOOXOXOXXOXOXOO

"Do you remember everything we told you?" Royce asked as they stood in an alley away from the club as she nodded slowly. "One last thing before you do anything" he declared as she nodded. "Remove your ring" he stated as shock covered her face before she looked down at it. "You've got to be a single young woman kid, you can't have that on your finger" he stated, staring down at the ring that decorated her hand.

"But I've never taken it off before" she mumbled.

"Honestly, I don't care just take the damn thing off and go and do your job" he stated, watching as she slowly moved her fingers to the ring and gently slid it off her finger; knowing that Rick would be furious if he found out what she'd done. "Just stop thinking about your writer and get your head in the game Beckett".

"Yes, sorry" she mumbled, holding the ring for a moment before she gently slipped it into the bag she was carrying. "I can do this" she stated as Royce nodded and led her towards the end of the alley. "I can do this" she mumbled, walking towards the club by herself before slowly smiling at the man at the door who quickly let her in. Staring at the crowds of people, Kate quickly found herself smiling as she moved towards the bar, making sure to pass the two men she recognised what stood beside the bar. Ordering her drink, Kate sighed as she waited in silence for a moment.

"Are you here alone?" a man asked as she turned to see the two men she was here for standing behind her.

"It depends, if you're here does it mean I'm alone?" she smiled as they both smirked at her. Introducing themselves, the two men watched as Kate smiled before her drink arrived and she found herself taking a sip from the liquid that she hated. She hated alcohol. She hated the taste and what it did to people and yet here she was drinking it to fit in with the act Royce wanted her to be.

"And what's your name beautiful?" the other man asked as Kate beamed.

"Nikki" she stated, not knowing where the name had come from. "I'm Nikki" she declared as they nodded and began to lead her away from the bar towards the back of the club.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Sitting at the back, Kate relaxed back as she watched the younger of the two men dance with a pretty blonde while the older man sat silently beside her, drinking the glass of champagne that he had poured moments before for them both.

"I'm bored" Kate stated, attempting to think of something that would make him do what she needed. "Do you know anything fun we can do?" the brunette asked as she turned to him and looked as he moved slightly closer to her. Feeling his hand move, Kate watched as he felt his hand move to rest on her knee before slowly moving up to rest at the top of her dress, her teeth biting into her lips as she felt her nerves build up. She couldn't let that go any further. She wasn't even going to contemplate doing anything remotely close to that with him. "We don't even know each other" she commented.

"Does it matter?" he asked.

"I haven't had enough to drink for that idea" she stated as he laughed and reached across for her champagne glass and passed it to her. "I was thinking that we could maybe do something else" she suggested as he nodded and noticed the small smile that was covering her face. "If you have something else that we can do of course" she smiled as he nodded and slowly buried his hand into his pocket.

"Maybe we should go somewhere a bit more private before we contemplate doing anything fun" he whispered as she nodded and stood up, looking behind her to see Royce watching her with another detective before nodding at her and also standing. Feeling the older man rest his hand on her back, Kate smiled as he began to lead her into a private room, the door shutting quickly as Kate bit into her lip. "Now Nikki, if I'm going to give you some fun, what are you going to give me in return?" he asked as she stared at him in confusion.

"I…" she began, moving her hand to her purse before stopping when he took hold of her wrist and stared at her. "I can pay" she mumbled.

"Maybe I don't want money Nikki" he declared as she shut her eyes, desperate for Royce to walk in and arrest him. "I mean you're a beautiful, young, sexy woman" he commented as he moved forward, her body moving back and pressing against the wall as his lips began to move to her neck. She had to do this! She had to find the drugs and get the two men arrested. "You're so beautiful".

"I'll do it but I want to see that you have the stuff" she stated, hating the idea of it as the man moved away from her and smiled before moving away to reveal the drugs that he had been hiding in his pocket.

"So Nikki…" he whispered, moving closer to her again as she bit into her lip, staring at the drugs in his hand. She needed Royce now, she needed Royce now. "Come on Nikki" he declared before stealing a kiss, a moan leaving his lips as she closed her eyes tightly and imagined that it was the writer, imagined that it was Rick whose hand was running across her breasts, cupping her breast before his hands moved down and began to pull her dress up.

"No" she begged as she smiled.

"You want this, you have to pay Nikki, that's how business works remember" he stated as she attempted to push him away, surprised about how strong he was. Hearing the door open, Kate relaxed as the man was pulled away from her and she found Royce staring at her.

"Beckett, you okay?" he asked as she nodded and pulled her dress down before going towards her bag in search of her ring. Digging through the bag, Kate felt the panic cover her face as she pulled everything out as the man was dragged out of the room by the other detective while Royce approached her. "Kate?" he asked.

"It's not in here" she blurted out, getting to her knees before she looked around on the floor. "My ring isn't in my purse" she stated as the detective also got to his knees and began to help her search for the ring. Pulling everything apart, Kate felt the tears run down her cheeks as she realised that her engagement ring had disappeared. "Rick's going to kill me" she whispered through the tears as Royce sat down beside her. Wrapping his arm around her, Royce sighed as the young woman began to sob into his side. "He gave me that ring before I went training; it was so he was always with me. It was my promise ring before it was my engagement ring".

"I'm sure it's somewhere" he whispered as she shook her head.

"We've looked everywhere, it's gone and now I'm going to have to go home and explain to my fiancé that I've lost my ring and had a man touch me up just so I could get him to admit that he had drugs" she stated as the detective continued to hold her close; not knowing what else to do to make her feel better.

"Just be honest with him and he'll understand, it's just a ring".

"No that ring meant a lot to me" she mumbled as she shut her eyes. "I refused to let Rick buy me another ring because I loved that one so much, I loved that ring Royce and you made me take it off; you're the reason I lost my engagement ring" she declared before standing up and walking out of the room as Royce sighed, knowing that it would take a while for Kate to forgive him.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Entering the apartment, Kate sobbed as she kicked her shoes off and found herself staring across the dark apartment. She wanted to get out of this dress, remove the make-up from her face and slip into bed beside the writer. She needed a cuddle, she was desperate to have him hold her close in his arms and make things better. Approaching their bedroom, Kate sighed as she walked in to find the writer sat up reading a book.

"Hey cop woman" the writer smiled as he watched her creep in and remove the dress she was wearing before throwing it into the bin that was under her bedside table. "Katie, what's going on?" he asked as he climbed out of the bed and walked towards her, stopping when she entered the en-suite and shut the door behind her. "Katie, talk to me" he begged, staring at the door in desperation.

"It doesn't matter" she whispered as she walked out in her pyjamas with a make-up free face before slipping into the bed. "Can you hold me Rick? I'd really like a cuddle right now" she asked as he nodded and slipped into the bed beside her before tightly wrapping his arms around her. Holding her close, the writer sighed as Kate turned in his arms and buried her face into his chest before shutting her eyes.

"What happened tonight?" he asked as she sobbed. "Sweetheart, what happened?"

"I was so desperate to impress everyone, I wanted to get them arrested and prove that I was just as good as them even though I'm a woman" she stated as he nodded, knowing that people still judged Kate because she was a woman. "He was offering me the drugs Rick but he wanted payment, he wanted to have me as payment" she sobbed as he felt the horror cover his face. "He kissed me and he touched my breasts and he pulled my skirt up and that's when Royce arrested him but he was going to take me Rick and I was too desperate to get the drugs to stop him" she sobbed.

"I know you wouldn't have let it get that far if you weren't desperate Kate, you'd never do that and you could have stopped him" he whispered.

"I tried to stop him at one point but he was too strong" she mumbled. "If Royce had been a moment later" she whispered as he shook his head and stared at her.

"Don't even think about it" he declared before kissing her gently.

"There's something else" she mumbled as he nodded and stared at her. "I lost my engagement ring" she stated as he sighed and watched the tears run down her cheeks. "I lost my engagement ring Rick and I tried to find it but it was gone, I've lost it" she sobbed as he pressed a kiss to her forehead and held her slightly tighter.

"It's fine Katie" he whispered as she shook her head.

"But I loved that ring, it was my ring Rick" she mumbled.

"Kate it's just a ring, I'll buy you another one. Honestly I don't care that you lost the ring, I just care that you're safe now" he smiled before kissing her gently. "You're safe now" he mumbled as she shut her eyes, knowing that she was.


	31. Chapter 31

**Dedicated to mrskbeckett, Miniwriter305 and TheBeckett33! I couldn't choose between the three of you because your reviews made me the smile the most! They were amazing to read and your enthusiasm for the story really showed so hopefully you enjoy this chapter and review again. **

"Kate you have a visitor" Rick smiled as he allowed Mike Royce into the apartment who smiled at the sight of the brunette who was stood in the kitchen cooking in her pyjamas while humming gently. "Kate" Rick stated again as his fiancée looked up and stared at her partner for a moment.

"I know you hate me kid" he muttered as she nodded. "I know you want nothing more than to rip my balls off because I lost your engagement ring but wait one second before you try" he explained as the brunette nodded and stared at him for a moment, watching as he dug through his pockets and took out the familiar ring as shock covered both Kate's and Rick's faces.

"Where did you find it?" Kate asked as she walked over and took it from him. "I can't believe you found it Royce, thank you" the brunette muttered as he shrugged and stared at her for a moment. "It wasn't there though, we looked everywhere" she mumbled, confusion covering her face as Kate turned to show it to the writer who nodded and gently walked over to kiss her gently.

"I couldn't have my partner hating me for any longer so I made everyone leave the club and I had a friend in forensics do me a favour and search the club and the alley and there it was" he stated as Kate squealed and slid it back onto her finger before wrapping her arms around the older man in amazement. "Seeing that you're hugging me, I'm going to guess that you've forgiven me for making you take it off" he declared as she nodded and smiled before gently pressing a kiss to his cheek.

"Thank you" Kate smiled as she moved away from her partner and stared at the writer who wrapped his arms tightly around her. "Would you like to stay for breakfast Royce? As a thank you for finding my ring" the brunette asked as Rick nodded, knowing that Kate felt guilty for how she'd been treating the detective the last couple of days.

"I would love to stay for breakfast if that's okay with you both" he smiled, Rick nodding in agreement as he pressed a kiss into Kate's hair before excusing himself and disappearing upstairs. "So you cook Beckett?" he asked as she slowly nodded and returned to the kitchen.

"I try too" she smiled. "Rick's a great cook but his expertise is adding a lot of sugar into everything, so I do all the healthy food" she declared as Royce laughed and watched as the familiar redhead ran down the stairs and tightly wrapped her arms around Kate. "Good morning, I see you slept in this morning" the brunette smiled as Alexis shook her head and squealed when Kate began to tickle her.

"Mommy I want to help with breakfast" Alexis smiled as Kate nodded and quickly pulled a stool up so Alexis could step up and help. "I have to wash my hands mommy" the redhead stated as Kate laughed and nodded, Mike watching as Alexis washed her hands while Kate quickly pulled the six year olds hair back into a plait. "Mommy that man from your work is sat at our table" the redhead commented as Kate laughed and nodded. "Why is he here?"

"Royce brought my ring back for me Lex, wasn't that nice of him?" Kate explained as Royce nodded and smiled across at the six year old who nodded and beamed at him.

"Thank you for bringing mommy's ring back" Alexis stated as Kate pressed a kiss into her daughter's hair before she continued with the food while Alexis washed the fruit they had to accompany the pancakes she was making.

"Where's your dad Alexis?" Kate asked after a few moments of silence.

"He's trying to wake grams up for breakfast, I don't think it'll go very well because gram didn't get in till really late" Alexis admitted as Kate laughed, listening as she heard a door slam shut upstairs before the writer ran downstairs rubbing his hand across his head. "Daddy are you okay? Did you bump your head again on the stairs?" she asked.

"I'm going to ban my mother having high heeled shoes in her room, the evil woman throwing shoes at my head" he stated as Kate laughed and slowly walked towards him before kissing him gently as Alexis and Royce turned away so they didn't have to watch. "I'm going to have a bruise Katie" he whispered as she laughed and turned to look at Royce and Alexis who were still facing away from them.

"I'll kiss it better later when we haven't got anyone watching" she mumbled as Royce groaned.

"Beckett, there are young ears in the room" he moaned in disgust as Kate bit into her lip and moved away from her fiancée as she quickly began to plate up the food.

"Breakfast is served" Kate smiled, relaxing back in her chair as Rick sat down beside her and smiled at the food in front of him.

"Where's the sugar Katie? I need sugar with my breakfast" Rick asked as Kate rolled her eyes, not surprised by the writer's first question.

"You've had enough sugar Rick already and it's not healthy for first thing in the morning, I don't care how much sugar you have after midday but in the morning you don't" the brunette commented as Rick groaned and stared across at Royce who was laughing at the interaction between them; enjoying seeing Kate in her home for the first time.

"This is amazing Beckett, thank you" Royce smiled as the brunette shrugged, knowing that it was just a simple breakfast that she enjoyed making.

"Why do you call my mommy Beckett?" Alexis asked as Kate sighed and watched the redhead who was staring at the older man.

"At the precinct we call each other by our last names" Royce explained as Alexis nodded. "So my name is Mike Royce but your mommy calls me Royce and your mommy is Kate Beckett so I call her…" he began as Alexis smiled.

"Beckett" Alexis cheered as Kate and Rick laughed at her excitement over learning something new. "Do you know Javi and Kevin?" she asked as confusion covered Royce's face.

"Esposito and Ryan" Kate muttered as he nodded in agreement.

"I do know Javi and Kevin" Royce smiled as Alexis stared at him. "Those two are trouble, they like to play jokes on each other and they never behave. They're not like your mommy who would do whatever someone told her to do; she's defiantly going to be an amazing detective one day Alexis. You should be really proud of her" Mike explained as Kate bit into her lip to stop herself from crying. Mike Royce thought she was going to be an amazing detective one day.

"I am proud of her" Alexis admitted as she looked across at her mother and beamed.

"So am I" Rick declared, his arm wrapping around her as she cuddled into his side, taking in the fact that the people that meant the most of her were proud of what she was doing. Hearing a knock at the door, Kate groaned as Rick began to move, forcing her to sit up as he walked towards the door and opened it to reveal the familiar blonde that was Gina. "Hello Gina" he moaned, loud enough for Kate to hear as she shut her eyes in frustration.

"Gina?" Royce asked.

"If I could shoot anyone it would be her" Kate whispered as the man laughed and watched as the blonde approached them beside the writer. Forcing her eyes open, Kate faked a smile as she stared at the woman who was glaring at her. "Hello Gina".

"Hello Katherine" the woman muttered. "So the article was true, you are getting married" she stated as Kate smiled and nodded, looking down at her ring for a brief moment before looking back up at the blonde.

"Yes, are you jealous yet?" Kate asked as shock covered Rick's face.

"Why would I be jealous of you?" Gina laughed before she stared at the writer. "We need to talk in private" she explained as Rick nodded slowly and excused them from the rest of the group. Walking away from the table, Gina smiled before she began to speak where Kate could still hear her. "I honestly don't know what you see in her Richard" Gina muttered as Kate's hand quickly tightened into a fist. "She's not that pretty, she doesn't understand the world we live in, she is completely different to the women you usually go for and most of all she has the most fucked up background" she stated as Kate stood up and excused herself before turning to approach the blonde silently while Royce and Alexis watched. "Come on Rick, her mother was stabbed for someone mysterious reason- I bet it's because she was doing something or someone she shouldn't have been" the blonde laughed.

"Gina where the hell did you even get that idea from? You don't have the right to talk about things you don't have any understanding of. Kate's mom was an amazing woman who loved her husband more than anything in the world, she isn't like you or Meredith or any other disgusting woman who thinks it's acceptable to cheat when they're in a relationship" he explained as Kate smiled weakly at the writer who was defending not only her but her whole family. "You'll never understand just how brilliant Johanna Beckett was" he stated.

"What about the fact that Kate dropped out of college to join the force? It's not exactly the job _your _fiancée should be doing" she declared as she crossed her arms and glared at him. "You need to be dating someone who will help promote you Richard; you need to be with an actress or another writer or someone who is known by the people" the blonde screamed as Kate slowly moved away from sight and sat down on the stairs as everyone else fell silent. "Kate isn't going to help you sell books is she?"

"I've dated actresses and other writers and people like that and none of them have been like Kate and I don't care about whether she'll help promote me, I don't want a relationship where my partner is purely there to help promote me! Kate helps me write my books, she inspires every word I write and she is there for every process. She doesn't need to promote them because without her there wouldn't be any of the recent Richard Castle books" he declared as shock covered Kate's face.

"But you're marrying her Rick! What sort of image is that going to portray to everyone? You're eight years older than her, she's not even twenty yet" she commented. "She's going to be perceived as only caring about your money and sometimes I think that's true" the blonde stated, shocked when Rick grabbed her arm and began to lead her towards the door. "What do you think you're doing?" she asked.

"Since you've walked through my door all you've done is offend my fiancée and our family so I want you to leave" he stated before smiling. "Actually I want you to start searching for another job because I honestly don't want you as my publisher anymore" she explained as Kate felt the shock cover her face.

"You're firing me?" she asked.

"Yes and I'm shocked that I've left it this late! You're rude Gina; all you want to do is destroy the best thing that's ever happened to me. Katherine Beckett is the love of my life and we don't care what anyone thinks of us because age is just a number and being a cop is one of the strongest and bravest things anyone could do and Kate is beautiful, she's absolutely stunning and she could be a model if she wanted too. She could be anything" he explained as the blonde walked out of the apartment. "You can keep your job until you find another one" he stated as Gina glared at him.

"Then I should tell you that you have a charity event next week" she muttered as she looked into the apartment to see Kate watching her. "You can bring your precious Kate with you, you can show the world how perfect you think you are" she hissed before walking away, just as Rick slammed the door shut and sighed.

"Kate Beckett get over here right now because I need and deserve a kiss" Rick stated as Kate laughed and ran over, her arms wrapping around his neck as their lips found each other. "I'm sorry for what she said about you and your mom" he whispered as she shook her head.

"You were amazing, thank you" Kate mumbled before she began to kiss him again. "You absolutely wonderful man" she laughed as he shrugged and lifted her into the air for a moment.

"Are they like this a lot?" Mike asked the child who was sat beside him at the table.

"Yes" Alexis groaned, reaching across for the bowl full of fruit before eating it. "They're always like that".

**So what do you think? **

**I absolutely love this chapter but you might think completely different. Gina's been annoying me in this story, she annoys me in the programme as well so I thought why not get rid of her in my dream Caskett world? **


	32. Chapter 32

**This chapter is dedicated to every single person who reviewed! Every review made me smile so thank you and I hope you enjoy! **

"Mommy you look beautiful" Alexis smiled as she stared at the brunette who was standing in her doorway in a deep blue full length strapless dress with her dark hair pinned back while she wore the charm bracelet Rick had bought her. "You look like a princess mommy, you look really pretty" the redhead admitted as Kate grinned and slowly walked towards her to sit on the edge of the redhead's bed before leaning across to gently press a kiss to Alexis' forehead.

"Thank you" Kate whispered before looking at the book the six year old was holding. "Do you want me to read to you?" she asked as the redhead nodded and allowed Kate to take the book from her. Reading the book to her, Kate smiled as she watched the redhead curl up in the bed and watch her for a moment. Finishing the chapter they had chosen to get up too, the brunette sighed as she put the book down and leant down to gently press a kiss to her forehead. "You'll be a good girl for my dad won't you?" she asked.

"Yes mommy" Alexis smiled as the brunette smiled and stared at her for a moment. "You'll tell me all about tonight at breakfast won't you?" she asked as Kate nodded and laughed before kissing her forehead again and standing.

"Are you sure it looks okay?" Kate asked as the redhead smiled and nodded. "Go to sleep, it's late and you're tired" Kate laughed before walking towards the door, already hearing the familiar laugh of her father downstairs.

"Kate hurry up" Rick called up the stairs as Kate turned off Alexis' light and slowly walked out into the corridor. Approaching the stairs, Kate sighed as she slowly walked down them and stared at the writer who was pacing at the bottom of the stairs in his tuxedo while Jim Beckett looked at her and smiled.

"You look beautiful Katie" Jim smiled as Rick stopped and turned to look at her as shock covered his face.

"Oh wow Kate" Rick laughed as she walked over and kissed him quickly, not knowing what else to do. "You look stunning" he commented as she nodded and ran her fingers across his lapels before sighing.

"You look pretty good too" she smiled as he laughed and tightly wrapped his arms around her for a moment while Jim Beckett watched them. "If you need us, the number for the event is on the fridge along with the number to get hold of Martha at the theatre" Kate explained as she turned to look at her father who laughed and stared at her.

"Kate, I brought you up, I think I can cope with Alexis. She's a good girl" he smiled as Rick laughed at Kate's reaction.

"I was an amazing child dad" Kate muttered as Jim nodded and pressed a kiss into her hair.

"You were always a nightmare at times Katherine, an absolute nightmare" he stated as Kate bit into her lip while Rick laughed and slowly took hold of her hand. "Have fun tonight" Jim smiled as both of them nodded and slowly walked towards the door.

"Are you sure I look okay Rick?" she asked.

"You look perfect" he whispered, kissing her gently before they left the apartment together.

XOOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Watching as Rick opened the car door, Kate smiled as she took hold of his hand and allowed him to help her out of the car as the cameras began to flash and people started to scream their names. Allowing Rick to keep hold of her hand, Kate smiled as he began to lead her towards the doors while people continued to scream their names in excitement and in a desperate need for attention.

"Congratulations on your engagement".

"Kate what does it feel like to be wife number two?"

"Rick is this really going to be forever?"

"We don't have to talk to them Kate" Rick whispered as the brunette nodded and smiled up at him before leaning up to kiss him; giving both themselves and everyone want they wanted from them. Hearing everyone cheer, Kate smiled against Rick's lips before moving away slowly. "Actually I want to say something" he declared as he turned to look towards the person who had directed a question towards him. "Kate is forever. Meredith was a mistake a young man made in the heat of the moment but Kate is my dream, Kate is my forever and the love of my life and once we're married we'll send you the wedding photos to show you all how much we love each other and want this" he smiled as Kate gently pressed a kiss to his cheek while the cameras continued to flash at them.

"We should get inside, we'll be late" she stated as the writer nodded and lead her towards the door as she relaxed. Entering the building, Kate smiled as she listened to the music that was playing and the sound of people talking while Rick took her to the main room with the largest smile on his face. She couldn't get over the large crowds that were filling the room and the range of colours that were taking over the space in front of her. "Wow" she muttered.

"You're the most beautiful person in this room Kate, don't forget that" he whispered in her ear as she smiled and squeezed his hand before walking with him. "Do you want a drink Katie?" he asked as she shook her head and remained silent as she continued to look around the room while people watched her. "Do you want to dance?" he asked as he looked across at the couples dancing in the centre of the room.

"Later, go and do the talking that you need to do, I'll keep myself occupied" she smiled, kissing him gently as he nodded and stared at her for a moment.

"You are amazing Kate, I'll be back in twenty minutes and if I'm not come and rescue me from the crowds of desperate people who want to see me" he declared as she nodded and quickly kissed him before letting him move away to disappear into the crowd. Approaching a seat, Kate sighed as she sat down and stared at the charm bracelet she was wearing, her fingers running across each charm as she smiled and looked across to see Rick laughing with a petit woman. Looking down again, the brunette sighed as she heard footsteps approaching her.

"What are you doing by yourself?" a voice asked as she looked up to see Paula staring at her.

"Rick's talking with people" she stated as the woman shrugged and sat down beside her. "That's his job, he needs to do part alone" she smiled as she watched Rick proudly as he went passed every person and shook their hands and talked to them for a moment.

"People want to get to know you as well Kate, why don't you go join him?" Paula asked as Kate bit into her lip. "Look I understand that you don't want to interfere but you're the fiancée of New York's favourite writer; you need to start getting involved in this because everyone is going to want to know about you. They're going to want to know what you're doing right and wrong, what you're wearing, who you're with Kate so get used to it" she stated as Kate nodded slowly and stood up before slowly walking towards the writer and wrapping her arm around his waist as he turned and smiled at her.

"What are you doing here beautiful? I thought you were going to get a drink or something" he smiled as she kissed him gently.

"I wanted to do this with you, I'm your fiancée after all" she admitted as he laughed and kissed her gently before watching as a petit blonde walked towards them.

"Sarah" Rick smiled as the woman beamed and kissed his cheek. "This is my fiancée Kate, Kate this is Sarah, she's in charge of the charity and she does an amazing job of it" he explained as the brunette smiled and shook the woman's hand.

"It's lovely to meet you, you look stunning Kate" Sarah beamed as she felt herself blush. "I love your dress; it looks absolutely perfect on you".

"Thank you, you look amazing too" Kate stated as the blonde nodded and excused herself before walking off. "Rick, have you done enough talking now?" she asked as he nodded and smiled at her. "Would you like to dance with me?" she whispered as he nodded and quickly took her to the dance floor where their arms wrapped around each other. "Thank you for bringing me tonight Rick" she declared as they moved to the music slowly while he continued to smile at her.

"I wouldn't have wanted to bring anyone else Kate" he admitted as he kissed her gently and relaxed for a moment. "I have something to tell you" he declared as she nodded slowly. "I booked a hotel room tonight for the two of us".

"Why Rick?" she smiled as he shrugged and spun her for a second before his arms tightly wrapped around her again.

"I wanted to spend the rest of the evening with my gorgeous fiancée alone and I thought we haven't been away in a while with it being just the two of us so why not take the opportunity we've been given tonight?" he explained as she nodded and smiled at him for a moment before kissing him again. "You're in a very kissy mood today Katherine" he commented.

"You're a very good kisser Rick" she explained as he shrugged and held her close again as the music became slower. "Remember our first kiss" she smiled as her head rested against his chest. "We'd been watching the game together and Alexis arrived, we made pizza together and she disappeared upstairs and we kissed in the kitchen for that first time and it was fantastic" she mumbled, unable to stop herself from smiling as he laughed and held her close.

"Everyone loves you" he whispered as confusion covered her face. "Women want to look like you, men want to be with you Kate, and they're all talking about you Katie. Every single person I've talked to has mentioned you at least once tonight and I don't blame them because you're stunning Kate" he stated as she laughed and stole another kiss before smiling.

"What's a respectable time to leave?" she asked.

"Any time soon Katie, any time soon" he laughed as she wrapped her arms around him and gently kissed him before smiling at him. "I think we had the best first kiss" he declared as Kate laughed and nodded. "It was unexpected and yet needed and it was fantastic and it wasn't that awkward first kiss that everyone thinks about" he declared as she laughed. "What?" he asked.

"You're such a girl sometimes Richard".

XOXOOXOXOXOXXO

"You bought scrabble with you to a hotel room?" she asked as he nodded and walked towards the table she was sat at. Setting the board up, Rick smiled as he felt Kate watching his every moment as she remained in her deep blue dress staring up at him. He couldn't get over how beautiful she was! "This game isn't fair because you're a writer and have a better understanding of words than I do" she stated as he shrugged.

"We'll have fun playing it Katie, I promise" he smiled as she nodded and dug her hand into the bag to remove the letters before laughing. "Ladies first Katherine" he declared as she beamed and put her letters down before laughing. Placing his own letters down, Rick smiled as she rolled her eyes at the fact that he'd already scored double her points before she leant across and quickly kissed him as he smiled against her lips. Playing the game in silence for a few moments, Kate laughed as Rick slowly spelt out 'I love you' on the board.

"I love you too Rick" she smiled as she climbed out of her chair before walking over and kissing him as her fingers ran through his hair. Bringing her fingers down, Kate smiled as she began to undo his shirt while her lips moved to his neck as he groaned. "I love you" she whispered again, unable to stop herself from pushing his shirt back away from him. "I love your arms" she declared as he stared at her for a moment. "They're strong, I feel safe when I'm in your arms" she mumbled as he watched her for a moment before she stepped back and began to unzip the dress she was wearing. Stepping out of it, Kate smiled as the writer walked his fingers over to the back of her head and began to pull the pins out of her hair as her curls fell down.

"Do you want to have a bath with me Katie?" he asked as she nodded and kissed him gently as he lifted her into his arms and carried her towards the bathroom. Running the bath, Rick sighed as he looked across at her to see Kate twirling her dark hair around her finger as she waited patiently in her underwear. "I want to set a date for the wedding" he admitted as he finished the bath and saw her nodding slowly. "If we have a date then it's happening and we can sort everything out and it will be perfect" he declared as she nodded again, watching as he removed the rest of his clothes before stepping into the bath and watching as she removed her underwear and climbed in to join him.

"I want to get married after I'm twenty, then no one can say you're marrying a teenager or anything like that! I want to be twenty years old when we get married Rick" she stated as the writer nodded, understanding what she was thinking about.

"You're birthday is on a Friday this year, isn't it?" he asked as the brunette nodded and turned her head to kiss him gently. "Why don't we get married on the Saturday then?" he smiled as she stared at him in shock. "You'll be twenty then and god do I want to marry you Katie, I want you to be my wife" he explained as she laughed and kissed him, understanding his desperation.

"Okay, let's do it" she stated as he smiled at her. "Let's get married on the Saturday Rick" she laughed as he kissed her quickly and beamed when she squealed. "We're getting married Rick, we're actually getting married" she declared, holding him close to her as she sighed and tightened his arms around her, his hands resting on her stomach as she continued to laugh in excitement. "We have a date, we have an actual date".

"Katherine Beckett in less than six months you're going to be the amazing Katherine Castle and I'm never going to let you go" he stated as she laughed and rested back against him while his fingers moved from her stomach to play with her hair. "I love your hair Katie" he smiled as she laughed and shut her eyes, enjoying the feeling of him curling her hair around his fingers. "How do you think your dad is doing with Alexis?" he asked.

"They're probably both fast asleep" she declared as he nodded.

"Alexis loves having your dad around, when I told her he was going to babysit she was so excited" Rick laughed as Kate nodded, glad that their two families got on as well as they did. "Kate can you ask you something?" the writer asked as she nodded and shut her eyes, enjoying the peace of being in his safe arms.

"You can ask me anything" she whispered in amusement.

"Can I arrange where we get married? I want to do something special for you Kate, I want to give you a surprise" he declared as she nodded slowly, understanding what he wanted.

"If I regret this decision Rick, I'll make you suffer" she laughed as he nodded and pressed a kiss into her hair. "I know wherever you choose will be amazing writer man" she stated as he smiled and watched as she began to relax properly in his arms. "What are we going to do for Alexis' birthday?" she asked as he groaned.

"My baby is turning seven Katie, my beautiful baby girl is going to be seven years old" he moaned as she rolled her eyes. "Soon she'll be eighteen and going to some college far away from home and I'll never see her except for holidays and she'll be dating these boys who don't deserve her" he stated as she laughed and turned her head to kiss him again.

"Rick of course she's going to grow up but she's a good girl, she knows what's right and what's wrong and she's only six at the moment" she stated.

"Katie when we have babies of our own you'll understand how scary it is to watch your baby grow up" he explained as she nodded slowly, smiling at the idea of having babies of her own with him one day. "Because if your baby is getting old then you know they'll be leaving you soon and also if they're growing up then you know that you're growing old" he laughed as she rolled her eyes before climbing out of the bath and wrapping a towel around herself. "Where are you going?" he asked.

"I'm going to get dry and then go to bed, I want to sleep and I also want to cuddle with my fiancée when he decides to get out of the bath" she stated, walking out of the room as he laughed and did the same thing as her; knowing that she had the right idea.

XOXOXOXOOXXO

"Was Meredith your first serious girlfriend Rick?" Kate asked as she stared at him after a moment of silence. "We've always talked about my past with my boyfriends but we've never talked about the people you've been with except for Meredith" she admitted as the writer sighed and stared at her for a moment.

"My first serious relationship was with a woman called Kyra in college" he explained as she nodded slowly and watched him, noticing the look on his face. "We were pretty serious and I was going to ask her to marry me actually but she left New York to follow the career she wanted and I met Meredith a few months later and by the end of the year Alexis was with us" he declared as Kate curled up beside him.

"You really loved her" she whispered as he shrugged.

"I thought I did Kate, I thought I loved her more than anything but then I met you and you've shown me that she meant hardly anything to me compared to you" he explained as she leant up and kissed him.

"How long were you with Kyra?" she asked as he groaned. "Come on tell me" she smiled as she shut her eyes and waited for him to answer.

"Two and a half years" he stated as shock covered her face.

"Two and a half years?" she asked as he nodded slowly. "We've got nothing in comparison to that Rick" she mumbled as he groaned, wishing that he'd never mentioned Kyra. "You had two and a half years to get to know Kyra and…" she began, stopping when his finger pressed against her lips, silencing her.

"I was young at the time Kate, I wasn't responsible then. I was a stupid young man whose main priority was partying, sex and writing. I didn't care about my lessons or anything, all I wanted to be was popular and Kyra was a beautiful woman who liked to party and liked sex" he explained as Kate nodded slowly. "But I'm different now, yes I still like sex as you know but I'm more responsible. I'm a family man now and my career is second best" he declared as she nodded slowly and kissed him. "I don't just want to just have sex with someone Kate, I want to be able to live my life with you, and I want to do everything with you beside me as my wife and my best friend".

"I'm your best friend?" she asked as he nodded. "You're my best friend too" she whispered as he laughed and kissed her before wrapping his arms tightly around her.

"Good" he stated as she giggled and shut her eyes.


	33. Chapter 33

Groaning when the brunette ran over and stole the slice of toast he was holding in his hand, Rick watched as Kate ran out of the kitchen and into the living room before taking a bite from the toast the writer had made for himself. She was dressed in his shirt and a pair of his boxers and her hair was curly from the fact that she'd gone to bed with her hair wet that night! She was beautiful and he didn't care whether she'd taken his toast if it meant he got to see her large smile and hear her laugh.

"You're toast always tastes better than mine Rick" the brunette explained as the writer nodded slowly and walked towards her before gently pressing a kiss to her forehead as she laughed. "Is the birthday girl still in bed?" she asked as he nodded and watched as she finished her breakfast before kissing him. "You make the breakfast, I'll get the presents?" she asked as the writer nodded and moved towards the kitchen again to prepare the fruit salad that Alexis now loved in the morning.

"I hate that you've got my daughter wanting fruit salad more than my famous pancakes for breakfast Kate" he declared as she rolled her eyes and opened the cupboard to pull the presents out that they'd hidden from the redhead. "Right, let's get up those stairs" he ordered as she nodded and ran up the stairs with her arms full of presents while the writer followed her, watching Kate's ass as she ran. "I was right when I said your ass was perfection" he declared.

"Maybe I should change into some sweats" she whispered, looking down at what she was wearing before he shook his head and kissed her cheek gently as they stood in the corridor for a moment.

"You look perfectly respectable Katie, don't worry" he stated as she nodded and kissed him quickly before pushing Alexis' bedroom door open to reveal the redhead who was curled up in the middle of the bed fast asleep.

"Alexis" Kate smiled as she rested the presents on a chair before sitting down on the bed and leaning over to kiss Alexis' cheek. "Birthday girl wake up, it's time for presents" Kate whispered as she continued to press kisses to Alexis' cheeks before the redhead began to giggle at the feeling. "Up you get lazy bones, you have breakfast waiting and presents needing to be opened" Kate smiled as she moved back to allow the redhead to sit up and brush her hair back away from her face.

"Mommy" Alexis smiled as Kate nodded and kissed her forehead again before moving to create space for the writer to sit on the bed and pass his daughter her breakfast. "Fruit salad" she squealed as the writer glared across at his fiancée who smiled at him before wrapping her foot around the chair leg and pulling the chair carrying presents closer to the bed. "And presents" she smiled as the writer laughed, knowing that his daughter shared the same excitement for gifts. Eating her breakfast in silence, Alexis smiled as she slowly put the bowl down when she finished before Kate reached across to pass her one of the presents.

"Here you go sweetheart, presents" Kate beamed as the redhead thanked her before unwrapping the gifts. Revealing a collection of books, some jewellery and dolls, Alexis beamed as she watched Kate pass her the last present which was a small pink envelope. Undoing the envelope, Alexis stared at the picture of a bike in confusion as Kate looked across at the writer who was staring at her.

"I'm confused" Alexis admitted as Rick laughed.

"We've bought you a bike sweetheart" he declared as Alexis squealed and threw her arms around both her parents who laughed and kissed her cheeks. "I've already talked to Jim and we're going to spend our summer in his cabin so we can ride our bikes and have some fun together away from the beach this year" he smiled as Alexis cheered in excitement at the idea.

"Thank you" Alexis beamed, unable to stop herself from being excited at the idea. "Thank you for all my presents mommy, daddy" she smiled as she climbed onto Rick's lap and allowed him to tightly wrap his arms around her.

"My little girl is seven, I'm feeling very old right now and I don't like it" he stated as Kate laughed and quickly pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"Rick you are old, you're only going to get older from here" Kate smiled, laughing when the writer glared at her before rolling his eyes and smiling at his daughter.

"You don't think I'm old do you pumpkin?" he asked as the redhead shook her head with the largest smile covering her face.

"No daddy you're not old" Alexis smiled as Rick beamed. "You're ancient" she teased as Kate burst into hysterics as the writer glared at his daughter and then at the brunette; knowing that he was fighting a losing battle against the two women in his life.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

"Remember find something nice, I don't want a disgusting cake on our wedding day" Rick smiled as he pressed a kiss to Kate's forehead as she rolled her eyes and stared at him. "That means lots of sugar Kate, not something that doesn't taste sweet in the slightest" he explained as she nodded and quickly stole a kiss from him. "Maybe I should cancel this meeting and come with you two today" he admitted, looking across at his daughter who was currently sat on the couch attempting to read one of her books alone.

"Rick go" Kate warned as the writer sighed. "Alexis and I will find the most perfect cake for the wedding and then we'll meet you for lunch when you've finished with your meeting" she declared as he groaned, hating that fact that he had to spend part of his daughter's birthday in a meeting with someone who could be his next publisher while Kate attempted to occupy the seven year old with a wedding cake tasting session. Wrapping his arms around Rick's neck, Kate sighed as she gently kissed Rick on the lips before sighing.

"Remember where to meet me and what time" he whispered, desperate for Alexis not to hear him as he thought about the surprise party he'd organised for later because Alexis had decided she didn't want a party for some unknown reason.

"Of course I remember I booked the place Rick" she teased before kissing him again. "Now go before you're late" she declared as he moaned and tightened his arms around her. "Remember no sexy women Rick, I don't want to have to fight for you again" the brunette stated as she ran her fingers across the collar of his shirt as he nodded slowly. "Actually no women unless they're married with millions of babies" she laughed as he nodded and kissed her again as Alexis moaned from the couch after looking up from her book.

"Millions of babies?" he asked.

"Yes, that has to be one of your questions when you meet them Rick, do they have millions of babies and an extremely protective husband?" she smiled as he laughed and kissed her before sighing and moving away from her, not wanting too but knowing that he had too. "I love you" Kate smiled as he nodded and stole another kiss before grabbing his jacket and smiling.

"I love you both" Rick declared, waving across at Alexis who waved back as he slowly walked out of the apartment.

"Right Miss Castle, we need to go cake tasting" Kate smiled as Alexis squealed and climbed off the couch, clearly excited at the idea. Watching as the redhead ran over holding her coat, Kate smiled as she leant down and slowly began to do up the seven year olds buttons even though she didn't need it doing. Kate knew that Alexis was extremely independent but she adored doing things with and for her. "Remember we have to find a nice cake".

"Our type of nice cake or daddy's type of nice cake mommy?" the redhead asked as the brunette smiled.

"Ours of course Alexis, your daddy can't have everything he wants".

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Covering her finger with icing, Kate smiled as she stared at the redhead who was sat beside her in silence while staring at the selection of cakes in front of her. The whole afternoon had been spent tasting different flavours and staring at the range of designs that the shop could do. Looking across at Alexis, Kate bit into her lip before giggling lightly.

"You've got icing right…" Kate began as she pressed her icing covered finger to Alexis' nose before continuing. "Here" she smirked as the redhead squealed and quickly covered her nose with her hands. "My icing covered monkey" Kate whispered as she pressed a kiss into Alexis' red hair before sighing as the redhead attempted to wipe the icing away with her fingers as Kate watched her. "So which cake was your favourite?" the brunette asked as Alexis bit into her lip and stared at the collection in front of her.

"That one mom" Alexis smiled, pointing at the traditional cake on her right as Kate nodded. "It's really pretty as well, I like the roses too" she explained as Kate nodded, staring at the white cake with roses placed around it perfectly. "Daddy will like it too" Alexis added quickly as Kate laughed and smiled, knowing that the seven year old had chosen the cake that she'd also wanted. Moving towards the woman who was sat at a table in the back, Kate smiled as she ordered the cake while Alexis sat on the chair kicking her legs back and forth.

"Right come on you" Kate smiled a few moments later as Alexis squealed and ran over, wrapping her arms quickly around Kate as the other woman laughed gently.

"Your sister is lovely" the woman commented as Kate stared at her for a moment.

"She's not my sister, she's my daughter" Kate declared proudly as shock covered the woman's face. "Come on sweetheart" Kate whispered as she took hold of Alexis' hand and thanked the older woman before leading the seven year old out of the store.

"Why did she think you were my sister?" Alexis asked as Kate sighed and stared down at the redhead for a moment before leading her aside so they were out of the way before she knelt down and smiled at the seven year old. "You're my mommy" she stated as Kate nodded.

"But I'm very young to be a mommy sweetheart, especially to a big girl like you" Kate smiled as the seven year old stared at her in confusion. "I know it's confusing but if you were mine biologically baby I would have been thirteen when I had you" she admitted as shock covered Alexis' face at the fact. "That's why people are shocked to find out your my daughter" she smiled before standing up and tightening her grip of Alexis' hand as the small girl fell quiet. "What's wrong sweetheart?" Kate asked.

"Age doesn't matter does it?" she asked as Kate shook her head.

"Age is just a number baby, it's what you think that's matters, never ever forget that" she declared, squeezing her hand before walking down the street with her.

XOOXOXOXXOXOO

"Surprise" everyone screamed as Alexis entered the room with to see everyone standing around the table beaming at her. Looking down at the seven year old, Kate noticed that she wasn't smiling but instead glaring across at Paige and Ashley who were stood together smiling at her.

"Sweetheart" Kate whispered, shocked when Alexis ran off towards the restrooms and confusion covered the writer's face while Jim and Martha began to whisper among themselves.

"I'll go" Rick declared as Kate shook her head and stopped him. "What?" he asked.

"She's gone into the ladies, I'll go" she whispered, pressing a kiss to his cheek as he slowly nodded and watched as Kate snuck off towards the bathrooms while Martha stared at him.

"What's going on Richard?" Martha asked as he shrugged.

"I have no idea mother, I honestly don't know what happened" Rick sighed before sitting down with everyone. "Kate will find out, she always does, she just has this way with Alexis. Alexis can't keep anything secret from Katherine Beckett" he explained as both Martha and Jim nodded and looked towards the bathroom, wondering what was going on. Entering the bathroom, Kate sighed as she walked in to find only one of the cubicles locked.

"Lex, can you talk to me please?" Kate asked as she stood outside the locked door and waited for the redhead to come out. "Come on sweetheart, everyone's here to celebrate your birthday, they all want to see you" the brunette declared. "And they can't see you if you're locked in a cubicle can they?" she asked as the redhead slowly unlocked the door and stepped out to stare at her. "What's going on with you sweetheart? Talk to me" she whispered.

"I didn't want a party mommy" Alexis stated.

"Why didn't you want a party sweetheart? You did a few weeks ago and then all of a sudden you didn't want one anymore" Kate explained as she knelt down and brushed Alexis' hair away from her face. "And you wouldn't tell me or daddy why" she added as the redhead shook her head and fell silent for a moment as Kate leant up to press a kiss to her forehead. "What's going on with you my beautiful girl?" she asked.

"Ashley prefers Paige to me mommy" the redhead stated as confusion covered Kate's face. "He likes her more than he likes me" Alexis declared as Kate smiled, realising that she had been right when predicting that the seven year old had a crush for her friend. "Why does he prefer Paige to me?" she asked as Kate sighed and held her little girl close for a moment.

"Sweetheart you're too young to be worrying about things like this" Kate declared as Alexis shut her eyes while resting in Kate's arms. "Ashley is your friend and so is Paige and it shouldn't matter who likes who more, you're all friends and things shouldn't become this difficult until you're at least my age" she stated as Alexis nodded slowly. "You can sit next to me if you want but we need to go out there and you need to be polite to Ashley and Paige because they've come all this way to celebrate your birthday sweetheart".

"Promise I can sit with you?" Alexis whispered.

"I promise sweetheart" Kate smiled, standing up quickly before she took hold of Kate's hand and relaxed before following the brunette out of the room.

"Here they are, welcome back" Rick smiled as he watched Kate and Alexis approach the table before Kate sat down with Alexis beside her. "Everything okay Kate?" he whispered in Kate's ear as she sighed and slowly nodded.

"Just girl stuff" Kate smiled as Alexis stared up at her for a moment.

"Girl stuff? What sort of girl stuff?" Rick asked.

"I'll tell you later" she declared before pressing a kiss to his cheek and smiling at Alexis who was playing with her dress while Paige and Ashley whispered amongst themselves.

XOOXOXOXOXXOOXO

"What do you mean Alexis has a crush on Ashley? She's only seven, she's too young to start liking boys Kate" he panicked as he walked out of the en-suite to see Kate sat on the bed reading a book completely relaxed. "Why aren't you freaking out about this Kate? Our seven year old daughter has a crush" he declared as Kate laughed and slowly shut the book before reaching across to pull him over by the boxers he was wearing. "Careful" he warned.

"Rick, Alexis isn't madly in love with the guy and thinking about all the things that teenagers do. He's the first guy that she's been properly friends with and she just has a small thing for him, it's natural" she explained as he sat down and buried his head against her chest as she laughed and ran her fingers through his hair. "She likes him as a friend more than a boyfriend, it's a little baby crush" she declared as Rick remained perfectly still, his forehead pressed against her breasts as she relaxed back against the headboard.

"But she's only seven Katie, she's still a baby" he declared.

"And soon she'll be eight and then she'll be ten and before you know it she'll be eighteen and going to college and doing everything that we used to do at eighteen" she smiled as he groaned again, hating the idea of his beautiful baby girl growing up and leaving home. He hated the idea of his little girl starting to like boys more than anything.

"My daughter is going to do none of the things you were doing at eighteen Katherine Beckett, she is staying a virgin until she's married and I still don't like the idea of it even then" he declared as she laughed at his comment.

"Are you going to keep your head in my breasts all night Rick?" she asked as he laughed and moved away from her before lying down in the space beside her. "Rick I promise, this is just Alexis wanting to be Ashley's best friend. It won't be anything more than that" she explained as he cuddled up beside her and wrapped his arms around her.

"She's really upset about the whole thing isn't she?" Rick asked as Kate nodded slowly.

"She'll get over it before you know it Rick" the brunette muttered before kissing him gently and shutting her eyes. "You haven't asked me about our wedding cake" she whispered as she cuddled up beside him.

"No I haven't, have we got a nice cake?" he asked as she nodded and reached across for the booklet that was resting on the bedside table. Flicking through the pictures, Kate quickly found the cake she'd chosen before passing it to the writer who was silent for a moment. "Okay, what's fun about this cake?" he asked as she rolled her eyes and switched the light off. "Come on, this looks like a traditional wedding cake" he began as she shut her eyes.

"Goodnight Rick" she warned.


	34. Chapter 34

**This chapter is dedicated to Extraordinarily Extraordinary! Thank you so much for all your reviews and I hope you enjoy this chapter. Also this chapter is dedicated to Laura, I hope the next few chapters put a well needed smile on your face. **

"Kate I want you to meet someone" Rick called over as the brunette sighed and climbed off the couch where she'd been comfortably curled up with Alexis watching Snow White on the television. Approaching the writer, confusion covered her face as she stared at the man who was with him who was dressed in a shirt and jeans with a large smile covering his face. "Kate this is my new publisher Jason" he explained as Kate nodded, her smile growing at the fact that Rick hadn't even hired a woman at all. "Jason this is my fiancée Kate" he added as the man nodded and quickly shook her hand.

"It's nice to meet you Jason" Kate declared, glad that she was actually meaning it rather than faking it like she thought she might have too.

"It's nice to meet the woman who Mr Castle is always talking about, honestly the whole way through our first meeting he was just talking about you" he explained as Kate turned to look at the writer who already looked embarrassed. "He clearly loves you very much".

"I know" Kate laughed before kissing Rick's cheek and smiling. "Do you mind if I go back to my movie? I'm sure you two have business to discuss and everything" she explained as both Rick and Jason nodded and watched as she disappeared towards the couch again where Alexis was waiting patiently. "I know I'm sorry for leaving, no more disruptions" Kate smiled as she sat down and placed before while Rick and Jason entered his office silently.

"Who was that with daddy?" Alexis asked as Kate looked at her.

"That's daddy's new publisher Jason, he's now doing Gina's job" the brunette explained as confusion covered Alexis' face.

"Why isn't Gina doing her job?" she asked.

"Because daddy didn't want her around anymore because she wasn't a very nice person sweetheart" Kate explained as Alexis nodded in agreement.

"She was horrible mommy; she's like the evil queen in Snow White. She only cares about herself" Alexis stated as Kate laughed and nodded, staring across at the woman who was currently on the television staring into the mirror.

"You're defiantly right about that sweetheart" Kate muttered before pressing a kiss into Alexis' hair and smiling.

XOXOXOXOXOX

"So tell me about Jason" Kate smiled as she sat on their bed and watched as the writer continued to fiddle with the cuffs of his shirt. "Come here useless" she moaned, sitting up on her knees as the writer turned to face her and smiled when her fingers took hold of the cuffs of his shirt. "Come on tell me everything about Jason that you know" she declared.

"He's twenty eight like me, he's married to a woman named Samantha and they have two young children called Poppy and Michael. He's committed to his job but his family comes first which he clearly made sure I knew because sometimes he has to go to school performances and therefore needs flexible hours which I completely understand" he explained, watching as Kate perfectly did his tie. "He also hates Gina which is a positive for us and because he's married to a woman he can't be attracted to me or you which is perfect for both us because neither of us will be jealous" he explained as she laughed and kissed him. "Happy?" he asked.

"Ecstatic" she replied before lying down on the bed and sighing. "Why do you have to go out with the boys tonight?" she asked as he smiled and sat down beside her before kissing her.

"It's my stag night Kate, we're going to celebrate" he stated as she nodded slowly before taking hold of his hand tightly. "What's really worrying you?" he asked, noticing how nervous she seemed with the idea.

"You won't go too crazy will you?" she asked as he shook his head and smiled at her. "You won't come home stinking of alcohol or anything Rick" she whispered nervously as he shook his head and smiled at her, not knowing what else to do. He knew that she didn't like being around people who were drinking a lot and he'd discovered that if she was around alcohol for long periods of time she often began to feel sick.

"I promise to behave" he stated, holding her close for a moment before they heard a knock at the door.

"I'll get it" Alexis screamed from the living room as Kate sat up with the writer and smiled. "Daddy, Javi and Ryan are here" the redhead announced as Rick stood up and walked out of the bedroom with his fiancée who was nervously waiting beside him. "Jason's with them too" she added as Rick laughed and approached the door as Alexis quickly cuddled up beside Kate.

"I see you two found Jason then" Rick commented, staring at the man who was standing with the two cops.

"He was waiting outside the door" Javier stated as Rick nodded and smiled at Kate who was nervously waiting.

"Right, we're off, have a great time you two" Rick smiled as Kate nodded slowly, not particularly excited about the fact that Rick was disappearing for pizza and drinks with two of the craziest people she knew and another man that she had only just met.

"Don't worry Kate, we'll have him back in one piece" Kevin beamed as Kate crossed her arms and rose her eyebrows. "Well we'll hopefully bring him back in one piece, you'll have to wait and see Kate" he added as Kate shook her head and smiled down at Alexis who was staring up at her.

"Off you go then" Kate laughed before kissing the writer's cheek and giving him a quick nudge out of the door. "Have a good time, don't do anything you regret" she smiled, all four men nodding as they began to walk away from the door. Walking towards the phone after she'd shut the door, Kate smiled as she quickly dialled a certain number and looked across at Alexis who was smiling at her. "Why don't you go and get into your pyjamas?" Kate asked as Alexis nodded and disappeared, just as Lanie answered the phone.

"Hello" Lanie beamed.

"The boys have gone, you can come over now".

XOXOXOXOXOXO

"I brought Chinese" Lanie declared as she entered the apartment with a smiling Jenny.

"And I brought as much ice cream as I could possibly buy without looking stupid" Jenny explained as Kate laughed and shut the door after her two friends had entered the apartment in their pyjamas.

"Well I've got movies and an unlimited supply of popcorn and whatever you want to drink so I think we've got everything we need for a good girls night in without any men around" Kate smiled as both women cheered and looked across at the redhead who was slowly walking towards them yawning. "I'll be up in a second sweetheart" Kate smiled as Alexis nodded and slid upstairs. "I thought we could watch films in my room, it's a lot comfier in there and we won't disturb Alexis as much" Kate explained as the two women nodded and began to carry things into the main bedroom as Kate ran upstairs. Entering Alexis' bedroom, Kate smiled as she found the redhead curled up in bed waiting for her.

"Will you read to me?" Alexis asked as Kate nodded.

"Of course I will" Kate smiled as she found their book buried underneath her pillow. Reading the next two chapters, Kate smiled as Alexis' eyes started to shut in exhaustion. "If you need me Alexis, I'll be in my room, you can come downstairs and get me okay" Kate whispered as the redhead nodded and grinned when Kate gently pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Love you baby".

"Love you mommy" Alexis replied as Kate slowly walked out of the room and downstairs to her bedroom to find Lanie and Jenny already sat on the bed with the Chinese around them. Sitting down and relaxing back against the headboard, Kate quickly took the Chinese Lanie had bought for her as the movie the two women had chosen had begun to play.

"Thanks for coming tonight" Kate smiled as the two women smiled and nodded. "We haven't had girl time in what feels like forever" the brunette explained as they both murmured in agreement; knowing that although they'd spent a lot of time together as couples they'd hadn't had girl time in weeks. "We really need it with the wedding coming up".

"Just wait until your birthday and the wedding, the whole time is going to be unbelievably girly" Lanie smiled as Jenny nodded in agreement.

"Do you know the venue?" Kate asked as they both nodded again. "It is good isn't it?" she asked as they both smiled.

"It's amazing, Rick chose the best place imaginable Kate, you're going to love it" Jenny stated as Kate breathed a sigh of relief before shutting her eyes and smiling; knowing that if Lanie and Jenny liked it then Rick had done something good.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Hearing the phone ring, Kate sighed as she grabbed it off the bedside table and sighed. Lanie and Jenny had returned home around an hour ago after five movies and the brunette had been waiting for the writer to return home.

"Hello" she yawned down the phone as she waited for someone to respond.

"Is this Officer Beckett?" a man asked as he sat up. "I'm calling about a Mr Richard Castle" he explained as she groaned. "My name is Officer Franks, I work at the twelfth precinct, you might want to come and collect your fiancée".

"Collect my fiancée?" she asked.

"Mr Castle was taken into custody around an hour ago".

**Oh dear, what's he done now? **

**Please review and I'll try and update tomorrow! **


	35. Chapter 35

**I actually couldn't decide who to dedicate this one too so it's to everyone who reviewed because every comment made me smile and I love hearing from you! So here you go, the answer to all your questions. **

"Lexi you need to wake up" Kate whispered as she leant across and pressed a kiss to the seven year olds forehead as she slept peacefully. "Alexis" the brunette stated, smiling when the redhead's eyes opened and she found herself staring up at her mother. "We need to go somewhere sweetheart, I'm sorry for waking you up" the brunette explained as the redhead groaned and buried herself under the covers again. "You don't have to get out of your pj's or anything, we'll just slip your shoes on and I'll carry you to the car. You don't even need to be awake properly" Kate explained as she pulled the blanket away from the redhead who yawned and sat up slowly.

"Mommy why are we going out so late?" she asked as Kate found her slippers and gently put them on the girl before lifting her into her arms. "It's bed time mommy, I want to sleep" she mumbled against Kate's neck as the brunette nodded, hating the writer for making her get the seven year old out of bed.

"I know but your daddy has been stupid and we have to go and get him because he's been out with the boys and they're extremely immature when they're left alone together sweetheart" she declared as the redhead shut her eyes and relaxed as Kate walked out of the apartment in her pyjamas and sneakers; desperately holding her half asleep daughter in her arms. "I'm going to kick your daddy when I see him sweetheart" Kate whispered as she hit the button for the lift and waited patiently, knowing that her arms were going to ache soon and she couldn't put Alexis down because she was practically asleep already. "I'm literally going to make him suffer".

XOXOXOXOXOXO

"Hi I'm looking for my fiancé Richard Castle" she stated as the officer nodded and stared at her before looking at the girl who was asleep in her arms. "I know you don't normally do this but can I see him?" she asked as he nodded and watched as she walked towards the cells, entering the long corridor as she slowly walked towards the last cell where Rick was sat in the corner. "Richard" she hissed, his head looking up to see her staring at him with Alexis in her arms.

"Kate" he whispered as she shook her head.

"I have every reason to leave you sitting in this cell until tomorrow morning Richard Castle" she explained as he groaned. "You're not leaving this cell however until you tell me exactly what happened" she declared as the writer stood up and walked towards her, his hand reaching through the bars to touch his daughter's back for a moment. "Alexis told me that it was bed time and she wanted to sleep" she whispered as he felt the tears appear in his eyes. "She's seven years old and she was fast asleep Rick and I had to wake her up because her father had been arrested" she hissed as Alexis moaned and a cop entered the corridor.

"Do you want me to take her for a drink?" the man asked as Kate nodded and slowly put Alexis down and stared at her for a moment before pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"You're going to go with this nice officer sweetheart and get a drink of something warm, I'll come and see you in a minute when I've talked to your daddy" Kate whispered as Alexis nodded gently and slowly followed the man out of the corridor. "What happened tonight Rick? Tell me everything right now and don't leave anything important out" Kate declared as she turned to look at the man who was resting his head against the bars.

"We had a bit to drink, I had a lot less than Javi and Kevin but I was beginning to get a little out of it and I just wanted to have some fun with my friends. We started doing dares after Jason had left to go home and all of a sudden I'm being tied to a lamppost with all my clothes gone and your friendly neighbourhood cop is walking down the street to arrest me for indecent exposure" Rick explained as Kate groaned and crossed her arms. "Kate I promise, I didn't know it was going to happen but it did and I'm sorry, I know I promised that I wouldn't do anything stupid and I broke that" he stated as she nodded slowly.

"Alexis is seven years old and I had to bring her here to get you out of a cell, is that really something that you want her to remember when she looks back on her childhood?" she announced as he shook his head. "I thought this sort of thing stopped when you rode that police horse naked and Martha had to come and get you with a younger Alexis, I thought you knew how bad this sort of thing was" the brunette explained as he nodded again, not knowing what else to do. "Javi and Kevin? What happened to them? Where were they when you were arrested?" the cop asked as he sighed and sat down.

"They did a runner after they'd tied me to the lamp post" he stated as she sighed and shook her head, moving away from the cell as shock covered his face. "Kate you're not going to leave me here tonight, please don't leave me here tonight" he begged as she looked across at the door; not knowing what to do. She needed to get Alexis back to bed and she was desperate to get some sleep as well. "Kate please, I didn't mean for this to happen. I didn't plan to get tied naked where someone could see me".

"I should leave you in here for making me waking Alexis up" she declared as he sighed and nodded slowly, not knowing what else to do. "But I can't leave you here because I love you" she whispered as he smiled at her and leant forward, her body moving towards the cell before she stole a kiss from him through the bars. "You taste like alcohol" she moaned as he sighed and nodded. "I'm going to get the officer to let you out" Kate explained as she stood up and silently walked out of the corridor to see Alexis sat on the chair with her hands wrapped around her drink. "Hey sweetheart" the brunette smiled as she walked towards the seven year old and pressed a kiss into her hair before looking at the officer who was staring at her. "Can you let him out please?" Kate asked as he nodded and disappeared while Kate sat down beside her daughter and began to pull her hair back into a plait. Watching as Rick appeared in the doorway; Kate smiled as he moved to sign some documents while Alexis rested against her chest and yawned again.

"Are we going home soon mommy? I want to go to bed now, I'm tired" Alexis asked as Kate nodded and sighed, watching as Rick slowly walked towards her. "I don't like you daddy" Alexis stated as Kate stood up and lifted her into her arms as Rick sighed; understanding completely why both women in his life were angry at him.

"Let's go home" Kate whispered as she carried her daughter out of the precinct, the writer following her silently.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

"Have a shower, brush your teeth and get some sleep Rick" Kate ordered as she kicked her slippers off and stared at Alexis who was asleep in her arms. Watching as the writer disappeared into their room; Kate slowly walked upstairs and gently rested the seven year old on her bed before pulling her slippers off. "Good night sweetheart, you don't need to be up early" Kate smiled as she gently pulled the blanket up around her daughter and sighed before gently pressing a kiss to her forehead and walking out of the room. Entering her bedroom a few moments later, Kate sighed as she slipped into the bed and left the lamp on Rick's side of the bed on before shutting her eyes.

"Are you still awake Kate?" Rick asked as he slowly walked out of the en-suite and stared at her as she remained silent. "Katie?" he whispered again, sliding into the bed beside her before spooning up behind her. "I'm sorry for upsetting you" he sighed, holding her close as he closed his eyes and relaxed; desperately wanting her to talk to him. "I know you're cross and I don't blame you but I didn't mean for it to happen".

"We'll talk in the morning when you're sober and I'm awake" Kate whispered as he nodded slowly and moved away from her to lie on his side of the bed.

"I love you Kate" he whispered, not surprised when she didn't reply.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

"Mommy" Kate heard a voice say as a small smile covered her face when her eyes opened and she found herself staring at the exhausted redhead. "I can't sleep now, I'm all awake" Alexis admitted as Kate sighed and lifted the blanket up, indicating that the redhead could get into the bed with her. Climbing under the covers, Alexis sighed as she curled up beside Kate who tightly wrapped her arms around the seven year old. "Are you angry at daddy?"

"Just a little bit sweetheart, just a little bit" Kate whispered as the redhead nodded slowly and yawned again. "Your daddy isn't having any problems sleeping though is he?" the brunette whispered, knowing that the man beside her was fast asleep and nothing was going to wake him. "Are you sleepy yet?" she asked as the redhead yawned again and slowly nodded. Humming gently into Alexis' hair, Kate sighed as she watched the redhead relax and begin to fall asleep in her arms. "I love you beautiful, I love you so much" the brunette mumbled before shutting her eyes, knowing that she needed to sleep as well.

XOOXOXOXOXXO

Hearing a knock on the apartment door, Kate yawned as she tightened the robe she was wearing and slowly unlocked the door to reveal Javier and Kevin staring at her in silence; her arms crossing at the sight of them.

"What do you want?" she asked. "Your stupid dare forced me to get my seven year old out of bed to bail her father out of a cell" she declared as they both looked down on their feet. "And did you stay to help your friend when he was arrested? No you two did a runner!" she hissed as they both nodded slowly, ashamed at what they'd done the previous evening. "Maybe I should have you two locked in a cell for a night and have you call your girlfriends so they can bail you out, you can see what they think of your stupid ideas" she stated as the floorboard creaked behind her and she turned to see an exhausted Rick approaching her. "Look who it is, the third fucking musketeer, what brilliant ideas are you three going to come up with this time? Are you going to miss the wedding because you've decided to go to Vegas to dress up as Elvis or something stupid like that?" she announced before moving away from them. "I'm going for a bath and then I'm calling both your girlfriends" she stated before leaving the three men alone, horror covering Kevin and Javier's faces at the idea of their girlfriends becoming angrier over the nights events.

"I see that Kate's not too happy with your jail stay last night Rick" Kevin admitted as Rick nodded slowly. "You don't think she's so angry she'll call off the wedding, do you?" he asked as horror covered the writer's face. She wouldn't call off the wedding because of one mistake, would she?

"What the hell Ryan?" Esposito asked. "Of course she's not going to call off the wedding, she's just pissed".

"She's more than pissed, she nearly left me there last night" Rick explained as shock covered their faces for a moment. "She's furious, she hasn't said a word to me all morning. I've tried talking to her but she keeps brushing me off and Alexis isn't any better. She's ignoring me because Kate's ignoring me".

"Maybe the whole thing wasn't as good an idea as we thought it would be but they have to forgive you at some point" Kevin whispered as Javier nodded in agreement. "It's not like you killed someone or vandalised anything".

"Yeah, all you were doing was celebrating your stag night! I'm sure us cops have seen that sort of thing millions of times" Javier stated as Rick sighed, still not feeling any better about the whole thing. "You might have to start praying for your wedding if she doesn't start talking to you by tonight though man" Javier whispered as Rick groaned, not knowing what else to do.

"I might just have too".

XOOXXOXOXOXO

"People do stupid things sometimes Katie, you just have to be angry at them for a moment then laugh at the memory and forgive them" Jim explained down the phone as Kate lay across the bed with Alexis who was currently engrossed in another Disney movie. "It was his stag night Kate, people do stupid things" he laughed as Kate rolled her eyes.

"I know dad but…" she began.

"Katherine Beckett, he was having fun, you can't stay angry at him forever for trying to enjoy a night meant to signify his last night of freedom" Jim interrupted as she shut her eyes and relaxed back. "What is Rick doing right now Kate?" the man asked as she sighed.

"I don't know what he's doing, he's been staying out of the way since I shouted at him this morning" she admitted as he laughed, understanding more than anyone how scary his daughter could be when she was angry. "He made me get Alexis out of bed at stupid o'clock in the morning to bail him out" she stated as Jim sighed.

"Kate, he was just having some fun and by the sound of it Kevin and Javier are more to blame than Rick is" he declared as Kate nodded slowly. "Sweetheart, I love you but we all know that you can get angry sometimes and you don't forgive for a long time and I'm sure you don't want that with Rick, especially with the wedding coming up" he admitted as the brunette groaned. "You and Rick have an amazing relationship, wouldn't it just be better to talk to him and tell him why you're so angry?" he asked.

"I guess you're right dad" she mumbled.

"No Katherine, you know I'm right" he smiled as she laughed.

"Thanks daddy" she whispered before they said their goodbyes and put the phone down. Looking across at Alexis, Kate wasn't surprised to see her fast asleep on Rick's side of the bed with her face buried into the pillow. Climbing off the bed, Kate sighed as she slowly walked out of their bedroom and suddenly saw him making something in the kitchen. "What are you doing?" she asked as he looked up and smiled weakly.

"Making you something" he declared, returning to it as she grinned slightly and slowly approached him.

"I'm sorry about earlier" she whispered as he shook his head, knowing that he had been in the wrong. "I shouldn't have shouted at you like that, I was just tired and angry about Alexis. The whole lamp post thing is kind of funny in a way" she admitted as he stared at her for a moment. "I guess I just don't like the idea of having to get my boyfriend out of jail" she whispered as she walked over and allowed him to wrap his arms around her hips. "And Alexis was really tired and I hadn't gone to sleep yet and I'd been waiting for you to come home…"

"I'm sorry" he declared, kissing her gently as the brunette smiled onto his lips.

"I'm sorry too, you were just having fun with your friends and it didn't go perfectly" she mumbled as he held her close him for a moment. "So what are you making me?" she asked, smiling when he revealed the chocolate cake with _I'm sorry _written on top of it with chocolate buttons. "Thank you" she whispered, kissing him again as he nodded slowly. "You literally made this today?" she asked.

"You've been ignoring me for a long time" he muttered as she nodded slowly and burst into hysterics. "What are you laughing at?" she asked.

"You were tied to a lamp post naked" she giggled as he nodded and enjoyed the laughter that was now filing the room.

"It was awfully cold, I was afraid things were start to fall off" he stated as she continued to laugh, finally seeing the funny side of everything.

**A lot of people wanted the police horse incident but that was mentioned in Coffee and Scribbles because Rick had already done it so I came up with this instead and hopefully you like it! Hopefully you enjoyed the whole chapter if I'm lucky, although some of you may not like the fact that Rick and Kate made up so quickly. **


	36. Chapter 36

"Katherine Beckett what did you do?" Rick asked as he put the phone down and stared at his fiancée who was cooking in the kitchen. "That was Royce on the phone saying that Kevin and Javier had been arrested because they'd been tied to a lamp post with only their boxers on and I'm sorry scribbled on their chests in lipstick and they were threatening to kill you" he explained as she began to laugh at what he'd said. "You didn't Kate?" he asked, realising that she had been missing that morning when he'd woken up and he hadn't known why. "Oh my god you did!"

"They thought I'd forgotten about it, I was just waiting for them to forget about it before I got my revenge for them tying you to a lamp post" she explained as he bit into his lip, unable to stop himself from laughing at the idea of it.

"How did you over power two cops Kate?" he asked. "I can understand that you can overpower one but two of them at the same time and tie them to a lamp post; is that physically possible?" he explained as she nodded slowly and finished cooking; plating up the pasta she'd made for lunch in silence as the writer stared at her in amazement. "Come on tell me Kate, I want to know too" he explained as she passed him a plate before smiling.

"I had Lanie help me, she was angry at Javi for being a coward and Jenny was in on it as well; she got Ryan to meet us" she declared as the man laughed and gently kissed her, amazed at how wonderful she was. "I couldn't just let them off for running off and leaving my fiancé when he got arrested for indecent exposure" she whispered as the writer quickly wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. "So I got them arrested for the same thing" she giggled as he laughed and held her close, both of them falling silent when the front door opened and Alexis ran in before disappearing as Martha slowly walked in after her.

"Mother" Rick asked as the older redhead sighed and approached them. "What's going on?" he whispered as Kate slowly walked out of the kitchen and ran upstairs, knowing that Alexis would need to talk to someone. "Mother?" the writer asked again, desperately wanting to know what was wrong with his daughter.

"I picked Alexis up from school and she wasn't talking to me and then we got into the car she just burst into tears" Martha admitted as confusion covered the writer's face. "She didn't tell me why so I'm hoping that Kate will get it out of her" the redhead whispered before reaching across for the wine bottle.

XOXOXOXOOXOOXOX

"Are you going to tell me what's going on?" Kate asked as she kicked her shoes off and slipped under the duvet to find Alexis curled up in a small ball. "Come on tell me" she whispered, smiling gently when her daughter moved closer to her and allowed her to wrap her arms tightly around the seven year old. "Come on sweetheart, tell me, I don't have to tell anyone if you don't want me too" she declared.

"Paige's birthday is next week" Alexis sobbed as Kate nodded slowly, knowing that the redhead's best friend was soon turning seven because of the fact they'd spent hours shopping for the perfect present. "She's having a massive party and she's invited everyone but me" she sobbed as shock covered Kate's face.

"What?" Kate asked.

"I heard from this girl called Lilly who Paige doesn't even like! They've all been invited and I haven't mommy" she sobbed as she buried her face into Kate's side and cried while the brunette soothed her gently; not knowing what else to do but hold her close. Hearing a knock at the door, Kate slowly moved the blanket off her face to see the writer standing silently in the doorway with two mugs in his hand.

"I brought hot chocolate" Rick explained as the brunette smiled at him before sitting up and moving the blanket away from the redhead who was still curled up on the bed. "Did you tell mommy what's wrong?" Rick asked as both Kate and Alexis nodded in response. "Am I allowed to know?" the writer asked as he stared at his daughter for a moment as she sat up and cuddled up into Kate's side before taking hold of the mug her father was holding out to her.

"Can I tell him Lexi?" Kate whispered into her hair as the seven year old slowly nodded and took a sip of the warm liquid. "Paige is having a birthday party and she's invited everyone but Alexis" Kate explained as shock covered the writer's face. What had his daughter done to deserve that sort of treatment from her apparently best friend?

"We don't need her sweetheart, we can have our own party and ours will be so much better than Paige's" Rick explained as Alexis stared at him in confusion. "We can invite all of our friends over, make a fort and have pizza night and watch lots of movies" Rick explained as a small smile covered Alexis' face at the idea. "Is that a smile I see?" Rick asked as Alexis giggled and buried her face into Kate's side as the brunette beamed.

"Why don't I call everyone and see if they want to come to our party tonight Lex?" Kate suggested as Rick nodded and leant across to kiss her forehead before she slid out of the bed and disappeared out of the room as Rick quickly sat in her place.

"Can I have a cuddle from my favourite girl Alexis?" he asked as Alexis nodded and climbed onto his lap and allowed him to tightly wrap his arms around her. "I know Paige has upset you but you're so much better than she is sweetheart, you're kind and you would never do that to someone and that makes you the better person and Ashley will realise that" Rick whispered as her body tensed.

"I didn't mention Ashley dad, why are you talking about Ashley?" she moaned as Rick laughed and pressed a kiss into her red hair.

"I know you have a little crush on Ashley" he declared as she glared at him.

"I don't have a crush on Ashley daddy" she insisted before climbing off his lap and walking towards the door.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"To see mommy, she doesn't make up things" she stated as he laughed and watched her run out of the room with a smile on her face.

XOXOXOOXOOXOXXOO

"Here she is, the woman who had us arrested this morning" Javier declared as he entered the apartment and glared across at the brunette who was smiling at them while remaining close to the writer as the two men began to approach her. "So how do you feel about that Kate? Did you enjoy watching us tied to that lamp post in our boxers when that cop walked over and arrested us?" the cop asked as Kate bit into her lip and watched as Lanie smirked behind the two men who were complaining.

"You get my fiancée arrested, I get you arrested" she stated before walking over to Lanie and hugging her. "Has he been moaning about it all day?" the brunette whispered to her as Lanie bit into her lip and fell silent. "Lanie?" she asked.

"I might have bailed him out on my way here" she admitted as shock covered Kate's face. "He's not talking to me now, he's furious about the whole thing" she admitted as Kate laughed and tightly wrapped her arms around her friend for a moment; laughing when Jenny walked in and approached Kevin. "Kevin and Jenny aren't so bad though" she added. "He quickly forgave her for leaving him in the cell, although she got him out an hour earlier than I got Javi out" she laughed as Kate smiled and walked towards the two men.

"Will you two forgive me if I give you a hug to make up for what I did?" she asked as Javier looked at Kevin for a moment before they both nodded and laughed when she tightly wrapped her arms around the two men who held her close before Javier lifted her into the air, laughing when she began to scream. "Javier Esposito put me down right now" she declared as Rick smiled and watched as Alexis ran down the stairs and into her father's arms.

"What's Javi doing?" Alexis asked as Rick lifted her off the ground and smiled at her.

"Mommy did something very silly earlier to punish the boys and so Javi is getting pay back" he declared as Alexis nodded.

"What did mommy do daddy?" the redhead asked as she watched the cop spin around with Kate thrown across his shoulder screaming.

"She got Javi and Kevin arrested for not wearing enough clothes in public" Rick explained as shock covered the seven year olds face.

"Why would she do that daddy?" Alexis asked in amazement.

"Javier Esposito I'll puke down your shirt if you don't put me down" Kate threatened, everyone laughing as the man stopped and put her back down; earning a punch in the chest from the brunette who quickly straightened her t-shirt and moved towards her fiancée and daughter. "So this is Alexis' party so we're going to watch whatever movie she chooses, eat whatever food she wants and have a fun time camping out here for the night".

"Sounds good" Jenny commented as Kevin nodded in agreement, his arm wrapped tightly around her hips as he smiled down at the petit blonde. "So what movie are we going to watch first then?" the blonde asked Alexis who quickly ran off to choose something to watch.

XOXOXOOXOOXOXOXO

"Javi if you throw another piece of popcorn at me…" she warned as Lanie laughed at Kate's reaction while Javier threw another piece of popcorn at the brunette which hit her in the face. "Right that is it Esposito" she declared, moving towards as the man quickly stood up and ran off while everyone else laughed at him. "Wimp" Kate screamed at him.

"I am not a wimp Katherine Beckett, I am a strong man" he declared from the kitchen as he poured himself a drink and glared across at the woman who was now cuddled into Rick's side while Alexis remained completely focused on the movie they were supposed to be watching.

"Yeah the strong man who did a runner when he saw the cops coming on Rick's stag night" she declared as Javier glared at her while Rick rolled his eyes and tightly wrapped an arm around his girlfriend.

"Leave him alone Kate" Rick ordered softly as she groaned. "Anyway, it wasn't just Javier was it?" he added as he looked across at Kevin who quickly buried his face into Jenny's shoulder while the blonde laughed.

"Kevin will happily admit that he was a wimp that night" Jenny stated after a few seconds of silence.

"Hey" Kevin declared. "Why do I have to be the wimp? I'm just as confident as Javi and…" he began.

"Kevin" Jenny warned as he fell silent.

"Okay I was a wimp" he whispered as everyone smiled around him.

"Man you are whipped" Javier commented, earning a smack around the back of his head from his girlfriend.

"All of you men are whipped" Lanie stated as Rick stared at Kate. "Even you Richard Castle, even you".

"Hey!" he declared, his voice louder than anyone else's had been.

"Daddy shut up, I'm trying to watch my movie" Alexis screamed as the writer laughed and nodded, falling silent as everyone's focus began to move back towards the movie that was on the screen.

"I'm not really whipped am I?" Rick whispered in Kate's ear as she rested back against him and laughed at how nervous he sounded.

XOXOXOXOOXOXOXOX

"She looks so peaceful" Kate mumbled as she lay on her side and stared at the redhead who was fast asleep in her sleeping bag beside her. Turning her head to look at the man who was lying beside her, Kate smiled as she leant across to gently kiss him before lying down on the ground before her fingers slowly ran through his ear; silence filling the apartment as everyone slept in the apartment. "Do you think she enjoyed herself tonight?" Kate asked.

"Yes" he stated simply as she beamed and kissed him quickly before cuddling up beside him. "One month today" he whispered as she laughed. "You have one month of freedom left Katherine Beckett and then you'll be the committed Katherine Castle for the rest of your life who is married to me" he declared as she nodded and sighed, her eyes shutting as she thought about everything.

"It still seems far too long Rick, I want to get married to you now" she admitted as he pressed a kiss into her hair and took in the familiar cherry scent.

"We could always sneak off and go to Vegas" he whispered as she laughed and shook her head.

"I don't want a big wedding Rick but I want a wedding not an elopement" she stated, relaxing in his arms as she began to feel tired. "I'm sleepy" she mumbled as he shut his own eyes, enjoying the warmth of her body pressed against his body. "Mrs Katherine Castle, I can't wait" she admitted, unable to stop herself from smiling as she began to fall asleep in the comfort of his arms.

**Right I'm thinking that the next chapter will be Kate's birthday and then the wedding but if you don't want it that soon I'm happy to put in a few more chapters beforehand; do tell me what you think! **

**Anyway please review, I love hearing from you and honestly more reviews means I update quicker, it's a proven fact. **


	37. Chapter 37

**This chapter is dedicated to phnxgirl! Your review honestly made me smile and I loved hearing from you with every chapter because your comments are always so wonderful. **

**I did love all your other reviews as well and I'm glad that you enjoyed the relationship between Javier and Kate because I love their brother/sister relationship on the show!**

"There's something I need to show you before the wedding Rick" she whispered as she stared at him in bed and moved closer to him before kissing him gently. "I need to show you this, it's important to me" she declared as he nodded and watched her sit up before climbing out of the bed and grabbing her robe from the floor. Climbing out of bed, the writer smiled as he began to dress and watched as Kate began to slip on a pair of jeans.

"Where are we going?" Rick asked as she pulled on a t-shirt and smiled at him as they turned and stared at each other's t-shirts. "We were made for each other Katherine Beckett, this was just fate" the writer declared as he observed their practically matching batman t-shirts while she rolled her eyes at his ideas. "So are you going to tell me where we're going today Katie?" he asked quickly as his arms tightly wrapped around her body as she stared up at him.

"I'm not telling you Rick, not until we're there" she whispered against his lips before kissing him and moving away, her fingers locking with his as she slowly led him out of the room; glad that Martha had taken Alexis for the day to pamper her to make up for Paige's recent behaviour which continued to get worse! "Maybe we could go for lunch afterwards? Make a day of this whole thing" she suggested as he nodded.

"I like that idea, just some alone time before everything starts going crazy again with the wedding and the honeymoon" he declared, kissing her again before they slowly walked out of the apartment together.

XOXOXOOXXOXOXOXO

Entering the records room, Kate continued to cling onto Rick's hand as she slowly shut the door behind them and fell silent while he continued to watch her in confusion. Approaching the specific cabinet that she needed, Kate slowly removed the file that she'd brought him to see before holding it to her chest as she turned to face her fiancé who was remaining silent.

"You're the first person I've ever shown this to and the only person I want to share this with" she whispered as he nodded and watched her hold it out to him. "This is her case Rick" she admitted, gasping when he tightly pulled her into his arms. "I want you to be involved in my life Rick and that means every aspect, I want you to know what I'm fighting so you can stop me when I begin to fall down that hole again" she explained as she gently kissed him and led him towards the table. Sitting down, Rick stared at her as she sat on the edge of the table and watched as he opened the file and stared at everything in front of him.

"You really want me to read this?" he asked as she nodded and smiled at him; unable to stop herself from biting into her lip nervously. "Thank you for bringing me here sweetheart, this is important for both of us" he whispered for a moment as she smiled weakly before relaxing when he quickly grabbed hold of her hand and squeezed it. "Come here" he whispered, a small covering her face as she moved to sit on his lap before she rested back against him and watched as he slowly began to look at everything in the file except for the autopsy photos which he skipped over. "We don't need to see those".

"Javier said the exact same thing when he found me, I was staring at them. The first time I saw them I was sick" she admitted as he nodded and gently pressed a kiss to her cheek as she stared at him. "We're going to do this together aren't we Rick? We're going to solve her case together?" she asked as he stared at her for a moment before kissing her for a second.

"I know someone who could have a look at these for you" he admitted as shock covered her face. "I could give him a copy if you wanted me too Kate" he declared as she stood up and looked away for a moment. Did she really want that? Was she ready to start this properly? Feeling his hand on her shoulder, Kate sighed as he gently pressed a kiss to the back of her head. "You can have as long as you want to think about it, we don't even have to do this Katie" he declared as his free hand ran to rest on her stomach. "We don't have to even do it at all Kate" he whispered again as she shook her head.

"After the wedding" she mumbled as he nodded and turned her to press a kiss to her lips as she slowly began to respond. "After the wedding we'll talk about it again Rick" she whispered again as he nodded and lifted her into his arms as she smiled. "I love you".

"I love you too" he declared as her feet touched the ground again. "I love you so much and she would be so proud of you Kate and she would be so happy for us" he admitted as she nodded and ran her fingers across his cheek.

"She adored you Rick" Kate admitted as he smiled weakly and looked at the folder that was resting on the table. "She thought you were the best thing that had ever happened to me Richard Castle" she whispered as he tightened his arms around her. "And she was right" she added as he nodded and rested his forehead against hers as they remained silent for a moment. "She was always right".

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Lying on the grass, Kate laughed as the writer continued to tell a story about a princess who was strangely similar to her. Staring across at him, Kate found herself looking at his eyes as he talked; noticing how they seemed to be a brighter than they usually were. Sitting up, the brunette smiled as she leant across and silenced him by placing her lips quickly on his. Laughing when he moved to lie down, Kate smiled as she leant across and kissed him again while his fingers played with the top of her jeans.

"Not here Rick" she warned as he moved his hands away and kissed her quickly while his hands rested on her back. "No groping me when there are children around" she smiled as he laughed and stared up at her, taking in how peaceful she looked. "I can't wait to be Mrs Castle" she admitted as he nodded and kissed her. "Mrs Katherine Castle" she whispered as the writer laughed at the small smile that covered her face when she lay down beside him and held her hand up in front of her so she could stare at her ring again.

"Mr and Mrs Castle" he whispered into her ear as she laughed and nodded. "Richard and Katherine Castle" he declared as his lips gently pressed a kiss to her cheek as she shut her eyes for a second. "Katherine Castle sounds perfect, it sounds like it was meant to be" he declared as she rolled her eyes again at his idea of fate and soul mates.

"You mentioned a honeymoon earlier, where are we going?" Kate asked quickly as Rick smiled at the excitement that was covering her face at the idea. Curling into his side, Kate smiled up at him as the writer tightly wrapped his arms around her before staring down at her. "Come on tell me, I want to know" she declared as he shook his head and laughed at her while she groaned and tried to think of a way to get it out of him. "If you don't tell me, I won't have sex with you until the wedding Richard".

"I can cope with that Katherine" he stated as her eyebrows rose. "But can you?" he asked, silence falling upon them before they both laughed at the idea. "Okay, let's not ban sex, it's too difficult for both of us" he stated before kissing her quickly as she nodded quickly.

"Just tell me" she begged as he shook his head and sighed. "Please Rick; tell me where we're going for _our_ honeymoon".

"You really do hate surprises Katie" he commented as she nodded and sat up before looking across at the people who were running around the park while their parents either followed or laughed at them from their seats. "What are you think about?" he asked as he watched her from where he was lying, smiling at the complete concentration that was covering her face.

"My mom used to bring me here whenever it was sunny and she was free from work" she admitted as he smiled at her. "She would come and get me from school and go Katie we're going somewhere fun and I always knew she meant here. We would read and play and I was so excited to just have time alone with her because when I was younger it always felt like it was really hard to get" she admitted as he sat up and held her against his chest as she relaxed back into his arms. "We would always get a milkshake on the way home and share it before we went back for dinner" she admitted as her eyes shut.

"Want to go and get a milkshake with me?" he asked as she bit into her lip for a moment before nervously nodding. "Come on then you, I want a milkshake too actually" he laughed, standing up before he gently pulled her off the ground and led her towards the exit as she wrapped an arm around him and relaxed. "You're mom really was an amazing woman".

"I know but I just wish I'd told her that more often, she deserved to know how amazing I thought she was" Kate mumbled as he nodded.

"I think every child says that after they lose a parent Katie" he admitted as she smiled for a moment. "They always know though Kate, a parent always know that their baby loves them" he whispered as she nodded slowly and relaxed when he gently pressed a kiss into her dark hair, enjoying the soothing smell of cherries that radiated from her hair. Entering the small building, Kate smiled as she quickly took in the surroundings. It hadn't changed since her last visit with her mother! "Want to share one?" he asked as he laced his fingers with hers.

"I'd love too Rick" she admitted, relaxing when he moved them so he could order the strawberry milkshake that he knew was her favourite.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

"What do you mean you're going out?" Rick asked as Kate pulled her jacket on and turned around to look at her fiancé who was sitting on the couch beside the sleeping redhead. "Why are you going out?" he asked as she laughed and walked over to kiss him gently.

"Lanie says that we have to go late night shopping for something" she admitted as he nodded and watched as she slowly walked towards the door. "It has to do with the wedding but that's all I know, she's being very quiet on the whole thing" she explained as the writer nodded and blew a kiss at her as she laughed and slowly walked out of the apartment. Running downstairs, Kate smiled as she found Lanie standing by the door waiting.

"Finally" she moaned as Kate laughed and rolled her eyes.

"So why are we going shopping Lanie?" Kate asked as they began to walk down the street together as Lanie remained silent. "Lanie Parish I don't trust you when you go this quiet, what are you planning tonight?" she warned as the medical student stared up at her before leading her into the crowded streets. "Lanie where are we going?" she asked as the medical student continued to drag her down the street through the crowds.

"I'll tell you when we get there Kate" Lanie announced as Kate groaned and followed her friend. Finally stopping, Lanie smiled as Kate groaned and looked at the shop that they had stopped outside of as shock covered her face. "What do you think?" she asked quickly as Kate bit into her lip for a moment.

"Why are we here?" she questioned as she stared at the lingerie store in front of them.

"You are going to buy sexy underwear for your wedding night Katherine, it's supposed to be the sexiest night of your life" the medical student declared as she began to drag her friend into the store as Kate desperately tried to protest, even though she knew she would never win against Lanie Parish.

**So what do you think?**

**I felt like allowing Rick to finally see her mother's case would show how Kate's letting him completely into her life but you might not see it like that. **

**Anyway please tell me what you think- the more reviews means the quicker I write which means the quicker we get to the BIG CASKETT FILLED WEDDING DAY! **


	38. Chapter 38

**This chapter is dedicated to Mrskbeckett- your review honestly made me smile and I promise you'll find out more about Lanie and Kate's shopping trip in the next couple of chapters! **

"Rick tell me what's going on" Kate moaned as he led her down the corridor, turning his head for a moment to see her standing behind him with his tie wrapped around her eyes while she clung onto his hand desperately. Looking across at the group of friends and family that were sat quietly on the couch, Rick smiled as Kate squeezed his hand tighter and waited for him to remove the tie from around her eyes. "Rick can you please remove this from my face?" she asked, laughing when his arms wrapped around her stomach for a moment. "If your hands stay there then you're not undoing this tie" she stated.

"Can't you just enjoy the surprise for a moment Kate?" he asked as she shook her head, relaxing when his hands moved from her stomach and towards her face. Undoing the tie, Rick smiled as he slowly removed it from her face and watched the shock that was covering her face at the presents that were filling the coffee table and the crowd of people that were beaming at her.

"Happy birthday Kate" they all cheered as Rick smiled and tightly wrapped his arms around her as she began to laugh.

"Happy birthday beautiful" Rick whispered in her ear as she turned and kissed him gently while Alexis, Javier and Kevin all moaned at the sight of it. Pulling away from the writer, Kate beamed as she laced her fingers with his and slowly moved towards the chair before pushing him into the chair and curling up on his lap. "Presents first and then I'm going to make you whatever you want for breakfast" he declared as she beamed and kissed his cheek before smiling when Jim passed her a present and smiled.

"Thanks daddy" Kate whispered as she slowly began to unwrap it to reveal a large photo album. "Dad?" she asked, opening it to reveal pictures of her parents getting married to a pregnant Johanna Beckett and then Kate herself from a baby to the most recent picture with her curled up on the couch with Rick and Alexis fast asleep. "This is beautiful thank you" she smiled as her father smiled at her while Rick flicked back to the baby photo of new born Kate in her mother's arms.

"Look at you" he smiled as Kate groaned and shut her eyes as she buried her face into his neck. "You were so cute, I can see so much of your mom in you there Katie" he declared as she moved away to look at him. "You have her eyes and her nose" he whispered, gently placing a kiss to her nose while Javier pretended to be sick.

"Grow up Javier, you're not Alexis' age" Lanie hissed as she nudged her elbow into his side. "They're cute together".

"I agree" Jenny commented as Martha laughed at the two women before looking back at Kate and Rick who were still going through each page of the book.

"Sorry to rush you darlings but some of us will want breakfast at some point today" Martha stated as Kate nodded and quickly shut the photo album before looking across when the redhead passed her another present which was this time in a box. Lifting the lift, Kate gasped as she lifted out the royal blue dress that the older redhead had bought for her. "If you don't like it…" she began as Kate shook her head and stood up, holding the dress up against her body.

"It's gorgeous, thank you Martha I absolutely love it" Kate beamed as Martha smiled and nodded, glad to see the brunette so excited over the outfit she'd bought. Sitting back down, Kate carefully folded the outfit back into the box before smiling at the writer who was relaxing back in the chair.

"This is from Jenny and me" Kevin admitted as he passed their present to the brunette who thanked him before unwrapping it to reveal the coffee mug they had bought her. "Thanks" she laughed, smiling when she held it up to reveal the inscription _World's Greatest Cop _that was printed on the white mug. "This is amazing thank you" she declared as Jenny and Ryan both shrugged at her before Kevin's arm tightly wrapped around the petit blonde.

"Our turn, this is mainly from me but Javi put his name on the card" Lanie squealed as Javier rolled his eyes and watched as his girlfriend passed the brunette the present as Kate smiled and sighed as she began to unwrap the gift. Lifting the lid, Kate felt the embarrassment cover her face as she slammed the lid back onto the box as Lanie laughed.

"You didn't show Javi this did you?" she asked as Lanie stared at her.

"Who do you think I am? Of course I didn't show him" Lanie smiled as Kate bit into her lip.

"What is it?" everyone else asked as Kate shook her head and held the box tightly against her chest.

"Can I see?" Rick asked as Kate shook her head while Lanie grinned.

"I'm sure you'll see it at some point writer boy" Lanie teased as Kate glared at her before excusing herself and disappearing into their bedroom. Hiding the box underneath a pile of clothes in her drawer, Kate sighed as she turned around to see the writer standing in the doorway.

"What are you doing?" Kate smiled as he walked over and kissed her before leaning across to open the drawer and pull the box out as Kate groaned and attempted to take it back. "Rick put it back" she warned as he shook his head and ran into the en-suite as she screamed and attempted to chase after him. Hearing the door lock, Kate felt the shock cover her face as she slammed her fist against the door. "Richard Castle give that back to me, it's mine" she declared as she continued to hit the bathroom door.

"Now this is nice Kate, very sexy actually" he stated from in the bathroom as she closed her eyes and waited for the humiliation to be over. Hearing the door open, Kate watched as the writer walked out holding the lacy black lingerie that Lanie had bought for her. "This is very sexy Katherine, very sexy indeed" he admitted as she rolled her eyes and grabbed it from him.

"I'm going to kill Lanie Parish" Kate muttered as she threw the material into the drawer and shut it quickly.

"So are you going to tell me where she bought this from Katherine? It's not normal for a friend to buy her friend underwear unless they've been shopping together" he asked as she quickly wrapped her arms around his neck and shook her head as he smiled at her. "Oh my god have you been sexy underwear shopping haven't you?" he asked in shock as she quickly rolled her eyes and walked towards the door, stopping when the writer quickly grabbed her hand and stared at her. "Please tell me you've been sexy underwear shopping" he begged as she laughed and kissed him quickly before resting her forehead against his.

"I have especially for tomorrow" she teased as shock covered his face again. "Excited?" she whispered against his lips as he nodded.

"Mommy you still have my present to open, hurry up" Alexis called from the lounge as Kate smiled and moved away from the writer who groaned and followed her slowly out of the bedroom. Smiling at the seven year old, Kate quickly sat down as the writer walked into the kitchen and laughed when Alexis jumped onto her lap holding onto the gift desperately.

"Can I open it then?" Kate questioned as the redhead nodded and smiled when Kate gently pressed a kiss into Alexis' hair before slowly unwrapping the gift. Staring down at the small wooden box, Kate bit into her lip as she ran her hand across to word _mom _that was carved into the top. "Thank you sweetheart" the brunette beamed as she tightly wrapped her arms around her daughter while her head turned to look at the writer who was beginning to cook. "What are you making?" she asked.

"Waffles for my birthday girl" he stated as Kate beamed, already hungry at the idea of his cooking.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

"Do you really have to stay somewhere else tonight Rick?" Kate asked as she stared at him while his arms tightly wrapped around her naked body. Alexis had gone out with Martha for the afternoon so they could be alone together and she was already missing him even though he hadn't left yet. "We don't need to be completely traditional, I mean we're doing everything else, why do you need to leave me tonight?" she asked as he laughed and gently pressed a kiss to her lips as she buried her face into the crook of his neck.

"It's tradition Kate and Lanie would come after me if we broke it" he declared as he brushed her hair away from her face while she stared at him in silence. "But it'll be fine, you'll have fun with the girls tonight and then tomorrow you'll see me again when you're walking towards me down that aisle" he whispered as she nodded slowly. "I haven't given you your birthday present yet" he admitted as she shook her head and watched as he leant across and took an envelope out of the bedside table. "Happy birthday" he whispered as he kissed her quickly and passed the envelope, smiling when she sat up and began to undo it. Lifting the pieces of paper out of the white packet, Kate squealed as she read what it was.

"Oh my god we're going to London Rick" she squealed as he laughed at her reaction, smiling when she tightly wrapped her arms around him and kissed him again. "We're really going to London together?" she asked as he nodded again, watching the excitement that covered her face at the concept.

"Happy honeymoon sweetheart" he declared, beaming when she kissed him gently and laughed.

"I can't believe we're going that far, I've always wanted to go to London" she admitted as she kissed him gently before sighing and relaxing back on the bed. Hearing a knock at the main door a few moments later, Rick groaned as Kate tightly wrapped her arms around him, pinning him down so he couldn't move. "Kate come on, I need to answer the door. Everyone's probably arrived to boss us around" he moaned as her head shook.

"No, I don't want you to go Rick" she whined as he laughed and desperately moved out of her arms before reaching down to pull his boxers on and his t-shirt. Watching as he walked towards the door, Kate sighed as she held the sheet around her body and fell silent as she thought about how this was probably the last time she was going to see him before they got married. Climbing out of bed, Kate quickly wrapped herself up in the robe before slipping out of the bedroom to see everyone but her father standing in the corridor as Rick walked towards her and gently pressed a kiss to her forehead as he entered their bedroom again.

"So are you boys leaving in a minute for wherever you're going?" Kate asked as she stared at Javier and Kevin who nodded in response and smiled at her. "Don't do anything stupid tonight, I want a sober groom tomorrow" she declared as the two cops nodded again and beamed when Rick walked out completely dressed with his bag thrown over his shoulder.

"I'll see you tomorrow Katherine" he declared, kissing her gently as she tightly wrapped her arms around his neck. "You have to let go of me or we won't be getting married" he whispered as she shook her head and kept her arms around him as Lanie slowly walked over and rested her hand on Kate's shoulder.

"You'll see him tomorrow girl, let him go now" Lanie smiled as Kate began to loosen her arms before taking a step away from him. Watching as the writer walked over to Alexis, Kate smiled as Rick lifted the seven year old into his arms for a moment as she tightly wrapped her arms around him for a moment. "Cheer up" Lanie whispered to her as the brunette nodded slowly and quickly walked towards the writer and redhead to hug them as well.

"I love you both so much and I'll see you tomorrow" Rick stated as both Kate and Alexis nodded before the redhead was put down again and slowly wrapped her arms around Kate. Kissing Kate again, the writer smiled as his hand rested against her cheek for a moment.

"Rick come on let's get going" Javier called out as Kate nodded slowly before kissing him again and smiling when he moved away.

"I love you Katherine Beckett soon to be Katherine Castle" Rick declared as she laughed and nodded. "I will see you tomorrow on our wedding day Kate" he added as she bit into her lip and smiled at the idea.

"See you tomorrow" she called out, knowing that he probably couldn't hear her now.

XOOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Hearing the phone ring, Kate sighed as she reached across for the phone and answered it; already frustrated about the idea of being alone in bed for the night. Lanie and Jenny had gone to bed early because Lanie said they needed their beauty sleep while Alexis had gone to bed earlier than normal because she was tired.

"Hello?" she asked down the line before yawning.

"How is my beautiful wife to be tonight?" Rick asked as she laughed, happy about hearing his voice again. "Are you missing me right now Katherine because I'm missing you?" he asked quickly as she fell silent for a moment.

"I miss you already Rick, can you just come home because this is a stupid idea?" she asked as he laughed at her obvious frustration at being away from him. "Please, I can't sleep without you here and I know you're miserable without me too" she explained as the writer fell silent for a moment. "Are you still there?" she asked after a few moments of silence. "Rick?"

"Kate, what would you say if I told you to meet me outside your dad's apartment in fifteen minutes?" he declared as she smiled and relaxed. "Kate?"

"I'll be there" she stated as he laughed at her persistence. "What about Alexis?" she asked.

"Lanie and Jenny are there, she'll be fine for a few moments. Just leave a note just in case someone wakes up and worries about where you are" he declared as he nodded and reached across for a piece of paper and a pen that were resting on the table. "Fifteen minutes Kate" he stated.

"I'll be there, don't worry" she smiled as they both said goodbye before hanging up. Climbing out of bed, Kate laughed as she quickly grabbed her coat and pulled it on before taking the note that she'd scribbled with her into the main area of the apartment and rested it against the phone.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

"You're here in exactly fifteen minutes, you must have really missed me Kate" he laughed as she ran over and wrapped her arms around him as he held her close. "Look your dad is staying with the guys and he could see that I was obviously missing you so he gave me these" he declared as he held the keys up in front of her as she bit into her lip. "His only rule was that we didn't make a mess and we didn't give any details about what we were doing here" he explained as Kate quickly kissed him and took hold of his hand before leading him into the building.

"We're getting married tomorrow" Kate admitted as they entered the elevator, remaining close to each other as her fingers played with the bottom of his t-shirt as he watched her in amazement. "I can't believe that we're getting married, it seems so unreal" she declared, laughing when they reached the floor they need and climbed out of the lift together; his arm wrapping tightly around her body. Unlocking the apartment door, Rick smiled as Kate gently pushed him into the apartment before kicking the door shut and kissing him quickly, his fingers moving to push the coat she was wearing off her body.

"Oh wow Katherine" he whispered in shock, staring at the dark red silk nightie that she was only wearing. "I've not seen this before, this is amazing on you" he commented as his fingers gently ran across the material.

"It's new" she admitted as he nodded and lifted her up as her legs wrapped around him. "You know where my room is Richard" she commented as he nodded and carried her towards her old room, a laugh leaving her lips when he kicked the door open.

XOXOOXOXOXOXO

Entering the silent apartment, Kate bit into her lip slowly as she felt a small smile cover her face as she remembered everything that had just happened. She felt more relaxed with the writer being close to her for a couple more hours and she already missed him, hating that she wasn't going to see him for at least ten hours.

"And where do you think you were for the past two hours Katherine Beckett?" a voice asked as Kate felt the shock cover her face as she looked up to see Lanie staring down at her from the top of the stairs. "You were out with Rick weren't you?" the medical student asked as Kate fell silent and looked down at her shoes for a few moments. "Kate, what happened to the whole not seeing each other until the wedding thing?" she asked.

"I'm sorry but I miss him" Kate moaned before kicking her shoes off and removing her coat. "Can I go to bed now?" the brunette asked as Lanie continued to stare at the cop in silence. "For god's sake Lanie, I went out to have sex with my fiancée, I'm sorry for breaking tradition! But I missed him and he missed me and we wanted to celebrate my birthday and the wedding" she stated as Lanie tried to stop herself from laughing but failing. "Now excuse me but I'm going to bed to think about the two hours of amazing sex that I just had with Rick so goodnight and I'll see you tomorrow" she stated before storming off into her bedroom and slamming the door.

**Depending on the amount of reviews I get, I probably could get the wedding chapter up tomorrow but that depends on you completely. Anyway I hope you like this chapter! **


	39. Chapter 39

Opening her eyes slowly as she yawned, Kate smiled as she stared up at the ceiling for a moment before holding her hand up in front of her and staring at her engagement ring in amazement.

"I'm getting married today" she whispered, shock covering her face before she laughed. "I'm getting married today" she giggled before sitting up and staring at herself in the mirror before looking down at the space beside her where the writer usually slept. "I'm getting married to Richard Castle" she squealed before climbing out of bed and walking towards the bedroom door and leaving the room; walking out of the bedroom to see Alexis, Jenny and Lanie in the kitchen. "Morning" Kate whispered as everyone smiled at her.

"Look who it is, the blushing bride to be is finally awake" Lanie squealed as she ran over and hugged her friend. "Did you have a good night's sleep after sneaking out?" she asked as shock covered Jenny's face.

"You snuck out?" the blonde asked as both Kate and Lanie nodded. "Did you and Rick sneak out to spend one last night together?" she smiled as the brunette felt her cheeks begin to burn red while Lanie smile in amusement. "You two are so cute" Jenny squealed as both women laughed at Jenny's reaction while Alexis continued to focus on her breakfast.

"Are you excited about getting married today?" Lanie asked as Kate nodded and laughed before walking towards the redhead and gently pressing a kiss into her daughter's hair. "Only four hours to go until we need to leave to get you Katherine Beckett to your wedding" the ME commented as Kate nodded and stared up at the clock before smiling again, unable to stop herself from beaming at everything.

"Enjoying breakfast sweetheart?" Kate asked as Alexis nodded and watched as Kate stole a chunk of melon out of Alexis' fruit salad and quickly ate it, nodding at the taste. "This is yummy" Kate commented as Jenny beamed.

"There's more in the fridge if you want some Kate" the petit woman explained as Kate nodded and quickly walked over to the fridge, taking out the spare bowl of fruit salad that was resting in there before sitting down and sighing. "Your dad called a few minutes ago, he'll be here in a couple of hours" Jenny explained as Kate nodded, glad that she had Jenny and Lanie to organise everything on the actual day for her.

"After you've finished breakfast, why don't you go and have a bath Kate? Get ready for the big day slowly" Lanie suggested as the cop nodded at the idea, surprised by how relaxed everything seemed. Hearing the phone ring, Kate turned as Lanie reached for it. "Hello" she beamed before falling silent. "I'm sure she's free to talk to you writer boy" she commented as Kate stood up and walked towards her, holding her hand out for the phone. "She's actually asking for the phone right now Mr Castle" she declared before passing the phone to Kate who smiled at her.

"Hello" Kate beamed down the phone as Rick laughed. "Why are you laughing Rick?"

"I can't believe that in just over four hours you're going to be Mrs Katherine Castle" he declared as she sat down on the couch and laughed. "How are you feeling? You haven't got cold feet or anything have you Kate?" he asked as she shook her head.

"Of course not Rick" she smiled. "I want to marry you Richard Castle, I have no doubts about this Rick, I'm excited about seeing you at the end of the aisle smiling at me ready to make me your wife" Kate explained before relaxing back into the couch. "We're getting married Rick, we're actually getting married today" she whispered as the writer laughed again in amazement.

"I know" he smiled. "I wish you were here right now, I really want to kiss you hello" he stated as she smiled and shut her eyes.

"You can kiss me again when we're married" she stated as Lanie rolled her eyes in the kitchen, listening into Kate's half of the conversation from the kitchen with Jenny. "Just think, we'll say I do, they'll say that we're man and wife and then all of a sudden you're allowed to kiss me for the first time as your wife" she explained as he groaned. "You okay?" she asked.

"You have no idea how perfect that sounds" he admitted as she turned her head to see everyone smiling at her. "Look I need to go Katie, there's some final things to do with the venue and then I need to get in the shower before Javi and Kevin" he stated as Kate nodded slowly. "I love you Katherine Beckett".

"I love you Richard Castle, I love you so much" she replied before they both said goodbye, the brunette putting the phone down before looking across at everyone. "I guess we should start thinking about getting ready" she admitted as everyone nodded. "You should all get ready before I do" she muttered as they nodded again.

"You really don't want us seeing the dress until the last possible moment" Jenny commented as Kate nodded.

"You three aren't going to see me before the wedding anyway, my father is bringing the dress with him and I'm changing into it after you three leave for the venue" Kate stated as everyone laughed at her, not surprised that she was keeping it secret from everyone. "Right Lex, go and have a shower and then I'll do your hair for you" Kate whispered as the redhead nodded and ran upstairs. "Lanie you can use the guest bedroom shower if you want and Jenny you're welcome to use the shower in my bedroom" Kate explained as the two older women nodded and disappeared in the directions Kate had ordered them to go in.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

"You're marrying a rich man and yet you didn't pay for someone to do hair and make-up Kate" Lanie commented as she watched Kate sit in the middle of the bed curling Alexis' hair perfectly. "You don't need to do this normally on your wedding day Kate, people can do this for you" she commented as Kate shrugged, not caring about what other people had at their wedding.

"I want to do my own hair and I want to do my own make-up. It just seems pointless to hire someone else to do it when I do it every other day of my life" Kate commented as Lanie nodded slowly and smiled when Kate began to pin half of Alexis' hair back. "Are you going to curl your hair as well?" Kate asked as she looked at the two women.

"Do you want us to have our hair curled?" Jenny asked as Kate shrugged, not caring what they did. She wanted people to feel comfortable on her wedding day; she didn't want the massive drama that most people had.

"Come on Kate; give us some indication to what you want for your wedding Katherine! It's your flaming day" Lanie moaned as Kate smiled at her.

"To keep you happy Lanie you are being ordered to curl your hair for my wedding day, end of story" Kate laughed as both women nodded in agreement and watched as Alexis jumped off the bed and smiled before running over to the mirror. "What do you think sweetheart?" the brunette asked as the seven year old turned and stared at her before nodding.

"I love it mommy, it's really pretty, thank you" Alexis giggled as Kate beamed, watching her daughter for a moment before smiling and leaning across to gently press a kiss to Alexis' forehead.

"Right I need to curl my hair so budge future Mrs Castle" Lanie laughed as Kate rolled her eyes and stood up, passing the curlers to the medical student before sighing. "I can't believe you're getting married Kate, it just seems so unreal" Lanie commented as Jenny nodded in agreement. "I'm so excited about this, I can't wait to see you in your dress and I can't wait to see Javi in a suit".

"It's my wedding day and you're most excited about seeing your boyfriend in a suit" Kate declared as Lanie shrugged. "I don't know whether to be offended or not"

"He never dresses up except for his uniform and he looks sexy in a suit" Lanie smiled as Kate laughed. "I bet you're excited about seeing your partners in a suit as well" the medical student stated as she looked from Kate to Jenny.

"I haven't seen Kevin in a suit actually, I'm quite excited about this" the blonde admitted. "I bet he looks good in a suit" she commented outloud as Kate and Lanie grinned at her.

"Rick looks amazing in a suit" Kate mumbled as everyone laughed at her. "Honestly he's really sexy in anything really" the brunette muttered before looking across at the redhead who was staring at her. "And we are ending this conversation now because of little ears in the room" she stated, walking towards the redhead before kissing her forehead and sighing. "I'm going to go and take that bath we were talking about earlier" Kate admitted.

"Go relax, enjoy yourself. It's going to be your only moment of peace today so really enjoy it" Lanie smiled as Kate nodded and slowly disappeared out of the room for her bath.

XOXOXOOXOXOXO

"Don't you look lovely Alexis" Jim smiled as he entered the apartment with Kate's wedding dress and smiled at the redhead who was dressed perfectly and smiling at him. "Where's my daughter?" he asked, turning to look at Lanie who was standing in the doorway with a huge smile covering her face.

"Bedroom" the medical student stated as Jim nodded and smiled at her. "We've got to get going so can you tell Kate that we'll see her at the venue and we can't wait to see the dress, we're so excited" Lanie declared as Jenny walked over to join her with the largest smile covering her face. "Right, Lex shall we go?" Lanie asked as the redhead nodded and took hold of Lanie's hand.

"Your car is waiting downstairs, I saw it when I arrived" Jim stated as both women nodded and slowly led Alexis out of the apartment. Approaching the main bedroom, Jim smiled as he knocked on the door and waited for a moment.

"Come in" Kate called out from inside the room, the older man smiling as he opened the door to find Kate sat in front of the mirror in her robe staring at herself. "Hey daddy" the brunette smiled as she observed her father's reflection. He looked shocked and she couldn't decide whether that was a good thing or not. "Has everyone gone to the venue now?" she asked as Jim shut the door and hung the dress on the wardrobe before approaching her.

"You look stunning Katie" Jim whispered, staring at her perfect make up and the parts of her hair which were pinned back while the rest curled perfectly over her shoulders. "I can't believe that you're getting married Katie, my little girl is getting married today" he admitted as she laughed and nodded before standing up and gently pressing a kiss to his cheek.

"You look amazing dad" she commented, observing the suit he was wearing. "You look really smart" she stated as he shrugged and did a small turn to reveal the whole outfit as she laughed and gently found his hand. "I'm getting married daddy, I'm finally getting married" she mumbled as he nodded and watched her for a moment, taking in the fear and excitement that was covering his young daughter's face. "I'm going to get dressed but can you come in in a minute to help me with the back?" she asked as he nodded and slowly walked towards the door before smiling at her for a moment before leaving the room. Approaching her dress, Kate smiled as she slowly removed the cover and stared at the wedding dress in front of her. "Oh wow" she whispered before removing it from the hanger and slowly dressing herself in the material, enjoying how perfect it felt against her skin as she stared at herself in the mirror. "Daddy" she called out, the man walking in quickly as shock covered his face.

"You look just like your mother Kate" he admitted as he walked towards her and slowly did the buttons up on the back of the dress. "I thought your mother was the most beautiful woman in the world but I think she would agree that you look absolutely stunning in her dress" he whispered as she stared at him before looking into the mirror and smiling at herself. Walking towards the table, Kate slowly picked up her mother's earrings and gently put them on as Jim watched her in amazement.

"What do you think dad?" she asked as Jim smiled and walked over to her to gently press a kiss to her forehead.

"You look perfect Katie, you look absolutely perfect".

XOOXOXXOOXOXOXOO

"Oh my god" Kate squealed as shock covered her face as she stared at where the car was taking her. "He didn't" she declared, looking across at her father who smiled at her and nodded. Her father's cabin! She was getting married at her father's cabin! Watching as the car drove past the cabin, Kate smiled as it led it up a familiar hill before stopping. "Oh wow" Kate whispered at the sight of flowers everywhere and people sat around under the trees on white chairs that were decorated with ribbons while Jenny, Alexis and Lanie stood by the end of the aisle.

"You don't need to get out yet, we're parking a bit further away from here Katie" Jim stated as the brunette sighed and watched as the car began to drive off again so she was out of the way. "It'll start soon" he declared as she nodded and took hold of his hand for a moment.

"I'm nervous" she stated as Jim smiled and gently pressed a kiss to her cheek.

"Everyone's nervous on their wedding day but it's always excitement" he declared as she nodded and waited for a moment; desperately wanting to start the wedding. Staring down at the watch he was wearing, Jim smiled as he climbed out of the car and walked over to his daughter's door, looking across to hear music playing. "Come on then you, let's get you married" Jim smiled as he opened the door and took hold of his daughter's hand as she bit into her lip and climbed out of the vehicle. Walking down the path, Kate smiled as she watched Lanie slowly walk down the aisle and smile at Javier who was standing beside Rick and Kevin. "He can't see you, we tested it with Martha running around in bright yellow" Jim admitted as she nodded and waited behind the tree as Jenny began to walk down the aisle as well.

"She looks beautiful" Kate whispered as she watched Alexis walk down the make shift aisle throwing the flower petals down the ground as everyone watched her with the largest smile covering their faces. Hearing the music change, Kate laughed as she bit into her lip again and stared ahead of her. "I'm getting married" she stated as Jim began to slowly lead her ahead.

Watching as she came into view, Rick felt the shock cover his face as he stared at the beaming brunette who was slowly approaching him with her arm tightly wrapped around her father's. She looked absolutely stunning and he couldn't take his eyes off her as she kept taking a step closer to him. They were actually doing this! They were actually getting married! Hearing everyone comment on how beautiful she looked, Rick smiled proudly as she stopped in front of him and laughed when her father slowly passed her hand to him and moved away.

"You look stunning Kate, you're so beautiful" he whispered as she laughed, feeling her cheek burn pink as she blushed. "What do you think then Kate? Are you happy?" he asked as she nodded, her hand running out to run across their carved initials before smiling at how perfect everything was.

"This is beautiful, thank you" she mumbled, watching as a man walked over to join them.

"You may now be seated" he declared as everyone else sat down around them.

XOOXOXOOOXOXOXXOX

"I, Richard Edgar Castle, take you, Katherine Beckett, to be my lawfully wedded wife, my constant friend, my faithful partner and my love from this day forward. In the presence of God, our family and friends, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow. I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to honour and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live" he whispered as he slowly slid the ring onto her finger as she smiled at him and bit into her lip as she felt her excitement build up.

"Katherine".

"I, Katherine Beckett, take you, Richard Edgar Castle, to be my lawfully wedded husband, my constant friend, my faithful partner and my love from this day forward. In the presence of God, our family and friends, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow. I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to honour and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live" she repeated as she slowly slid the ring onto his finger, the two of them beaming at each other before they both turned to look at the man beside him.

"I now pronounce you man and wife, you may kiss the bride" he declared as the writer wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close as he began to kiss her as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Squealing when he lifted her off the ground, Kate laughed as she stared down at him and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips as everyone began to clap around them.

"We're married" Kate squealed as he nodded and kissed her again, a laugh leaving her lips as they stared at each other. "You look gorgeous in your suit, you actually look really sexy. I think you should wear this more often" she stated quietly so no one else could hear her as she ran her fingers across the lapels of his suit before kissing him again.

"Okay stop with the kissing" Lanie moaned as the writer laughed and took hold of his wife's hand, squeezing it tightly as she attempted not to laugh again.

"Shall we walk down the aisle together Mrs Castle?" he asked as she nodded and slowly walked down the aisle with him, taking in the group of people who were applauding them. They were finally married!

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

"Where's Kate?" Rick asked as he walked towards the crowd of people who were all smiling and laughing about things. Approaching Jim Beckett silently, the writer sighed as he fell silent in front of the older man. "Jim do you have any idea where Kate is?" the writer asked quickly as the older man nodded and pointed in a specific direction. Thanking him quickly, Rick began to walk in the direction that Jim had pointed him in before smiling at the sight of his wife sitting on a swing that was obviously homemade probably by Jim Beckett for his only child. "Hello wife" Rick smiled as Kate turned her head and looked at him for a moment before laughing and looking across at the trees for a second.

"Hello husband" she replied before patting the space beside her and smiling when he sat down next to her and stared at her for a moment.

"You're so beautiful" he admitted as she blushed, biting into her lip when his hand rested against her cheek and his lips found hers. "Katherine Castle" he whispered as she nodded and deepened the next kiss as they moved closer to each other, their fingers locking together as she stared at him.

"This has been completely perfect" Kate admitted as she looked around at the darkness that was surrounding them except for the fairy lights that were lighting everywhere around them. "You've done an amazing job Rick, I couldn't have thought of anything better myself" she explained as he gently kissed her before sighing. "This has been so romantic and completely perfect; it's honestly been like a dream".

"I'm glad that you've enjoyed today Katie, I wanted it to be your fairy tale wedding" he admitted as she nodded and squeezed his hand.

"Today has been the complete fairy tale I've been dreaming of since I was a child" she declared as he stood up and gently helped her off the swing, staring at how perfect the dress she was wearing clung to her body.

"This dress looks familiar to me, where have I seen it before Kate?" he asked as they began to walk towards the crowd of guests together.

"It was my mother's wedding dress" she admitted as he nodded, remembering the wedding photos that Kate had shown him in the past. "It just felt so perfect when my dad allowed me to wear it and I hated every dress in the stores we went too" she declared, kissing him gently at the fact that he'd realised that this dress was special to her. "Do you like it on me husband?" she asked.

"It looks completely perfect on you wife" he declared, kissing her quickly before Alexis ran over and wrapped her arms around her parents. "Are you enjoying yourself sweetheart?" Rick asked as the redhead nodded and moved away from them so she could stare at them.

"Katherine and Richard are now going to do their first dance together as Mr and Mrs Castle" the singer of the band Rick had hired stated as Kate laughed and allowed Rick to lead her to where everyone had been dancing. Hearing the music begin to play, Kate smiled as Rick wrapped his arms around her as they slowly began to dance along to the music that was playing in the background.

"I can't get enough of hearing that" Kate admitted as Rick stared at her for a moment. "Mr and Mrs Castle, it just feels completely perfect" the brunette explained as he nodded and pressed a kiss to her forehead as all the women around them smiled at the couple.

"I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels that way" he admitted, kissing her quickly as everyone clapped around them, happy to see the couple finally married to each other.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

"We will see you when you come home from London, have an amazing time on your honeymoon" Martha smiled as Alexis rested against her leg and yawned. "We should get going" the redhead admitted as both Kate and Rick nodded before leaning down to press a kiss to Alexis' forehead as the small girl smiled at them.

"Be good for your gram" Rick whispered as she nodded and smiled at him.

"I'll miss you mommy, daddy" the redhead admitted as Kate beamed and kissed her forehead quickly. "Have fun on your holiday" Alexis smiled as both adults nodded.

"We love you sweetheart and we'll call as often as we can" Kate explained as Alexis waved at them and slowly was led away by the older woman. Watching as her father walked over, Kate smiled as she tightly wrapped her arms around him as he laughed and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Thank you for everything daddy, today has been completely perfect and it wouldn't have been the same without the cabin".

"You seem so wonderfully happy Kate" he admitted as Kate nodded and smiled across at the writer. "Look after her Rick and have an amazing time in London together, see everything you possibly can" the older man explained as he gently pressed another kiss to his daughter's cheek before shaking Rick's hand and moving in the direction that Martha and Alexis had disappeared in only moments before.

"Have an amazing time in London you two" Lanie squealed as she walked over and hugged her two friends tightly as both Kate and Rick laughed at her.

"But don't spend the whole trip in your hotel room" Javier teased as he walked over and wrapped his arms around Lanie as Kate and Rick rolled their eyes at his comment before he gently kissed Kate's cheek and smiled at her. "Don't do anything we wouldn't do" he teased as he looked across at Lanie as Kate sighed.

"That leaves us lots of options then doesn't it Javi?" she laughed as Javier smiled at her before he moved to shake Rick's hand and lead Lanie away. Watching finally as Kevin and Jenny walked over; Kate smiled as the blonde tightly wrapped her arms around her friend before pressing a kiss to Rick's cheek.

"Congratulations and have an amazing time in England, I'm so jealous of you both, I've always wanted to go to London" Jenny beamed as the couple nodded and smiled as Kevin shook Rick's hand and gently pressed another kiss to the brunette's cheek.

"I can't think of anything to say that hasn't been said so congratulations and have an amazing time in England, we'll want to know all about it when you get home" Kevin explained as Kate nodded and watched the finally couple walk away from them before Rick's arm snuck around Kate's waist.

"Katherine Castle, I think it's time that we went to our bedroom to celebrate in our own way" he whispered in her ear as she nodded and gently kissed him before taking his hand and leading him into the cabin.

XXOXOXOXOXOOXOX

"Kate hurry up and get out of the bathroom, it doesn't take that long to brush your teeth" he moaned as he sat down on the bed and stared at the en-suite in front of him, desperately waiting for his wife to join him. Relaxing back against the headboard, Rick sighed as he watched the door slowly open and felt his heart stop when Kate stood in the doorway in a piece of lacy white lingerie with her dark hair curled to her shoulders perfectly. "Oh wow" he whispered in amazement.

"So Mr Castle what do you think?" she asked, her teeth sinking into her bottom lip as he watched her in amazement, unable to stop himself from smiling at her.

**So what do you think? **

**I was originally going to have them write their own vows but one I was rubbish at them and when I was looking at these vows I kind of like these because they said partner a lot and we all know that Castle and Beckett are partners in everything. **

**Anyway please review! **


	40. Chapter 40

"Oh my god Rick, you've bought practically a whole apartment for a fortnight's holiday" she commented as she entered the hotel suite they were staying in, the writer laughing at the shock that was covering her face as his arms tightly wrapped around her body. Shutting the hotel door with her body, Rick laughed as he kissed her and felt her arms wrap tightly around his neck as she moaned when his lips moved down to kiss her neck. "I want to look around" she muttered as he continued to kiss her neck as she shut her eyes and felt his fingers move to the bottom of her t-shirt. "We should really look around Rick" she whispered, not fighting however when he slowly began to pull her t-shirt off over her head. Hearing her shirt hit the floor, Kate smiled as his lips moved to kiss in between her breasts. "We can look around afterwards" she declared, laughing when he lifted her up before her legs wrapped around him.

"We can test the bed, that's looking around the suite" he explained as she nodded, smiling when her body hit the bed, her hand pulling him down on top of her before her fingers began to undo the buttons on his shirt. "Happy honeymoon Mrs Castle" he whispered against her lips as she laughed, unable to stop herself from smiling in excitement.

XXOXOOXOXOXOXO

"Oh my god Rick, the bath looks right out at the park. This is awesome" she declared from within the en-suite as he smiled and climbed out of bed, pulling on his boxers as he entered the room she'd just disappeared in to see her standing beside the bath in his shirt while staring out of the window. "This is amazing, I can't believe how fantastic this is" she whispered as he nodded, walking over to kiss her cheek as his arms snaked around her barely dressed body.

"Are you happy then?" he asked as she turned to look at him, her fingers running across his cheek before kissing him gently.

"I would have been happy in just a one room hotel suite with a disgusting bed and an even worse bathroom because I would have been with you, I would have been with my husband" she explained as he smiled and kissed her quick, lifting her up slightly as she squealed. "I can't believe how amazing this is Rick, I wasn't even expecting you to buy a whole suite for our time here, I just thought we'd be in a reasonably okay room" she declared as he laughed gently.

"Only the best for my wife because she deserves all the beautiful things in the world" he smiled as she bit into her lip before gently kissing his cheek, unable to remove the smile that was covering her face at everything he was saying and doing for her. "I love you Kate" he whispered as she nodded and kissed him quickly, unable to stop herself from smiling as she looked around quickly. "You've only looked at the en-suite so far, want to look around the rest of the suite?" he asked as she nodded and laced her fingers with his. Leading her out of the en-suite and through another door, Rick laughed as he watched the shock that cover Kate's face at the dressing room. "I don't think we'll use this room very often because you don't need to put loads of make up on because you're stunning without it" he explained as she rolled her eyes. "And then we have a living room" he declared as he led her out of the room. "Which leads to a dining room where we can eat whatever we want to order and then from the living room we can also do this" he declared, leading her towards the doors to open them to reveal the balcony.

"You're spoiling me" she declared as he shrugged before she kissed him again. "I am the luckiest girl in the world" she whispered against his lips as he shook his head. "I'm not?" she asked.

"No, I'm the luckiest man in the world because I have the most amazing wife and daughter and career and I just know that you're the best thing that's ever happened to me after Alexis Kate and I'm never going to let you do" he explained as she ran her hands across his cheeks and beamed.

"You can't let me go Rick, we're married now for as long as we both shall live" she giggled as he nodded, remembering how perfect their wedding vows had been. "Do you want to go out for a while? Explore the city?" she suggested as he beamed, nodding in agreement as he stared down at what they were wearing. "After we get dressed of course" she added.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

"It's smaller than I thought it would be" he commented as he stood outside Buckingham Palace and wrapped his arm around the brunette. "Pretty cool though" he smiled as she laughed and kissed his cheek gently. "Right go and stand somewhere, I want to get a picture" he declared as she groaned and moved out of his arms quickly. "Katherine Castle you don't want to disappoint our little girl when we go home and tell her that we saw where the queen was living but didn't get a picture for her" he explained as she glared at him.

"That's not fair, you're not allowed to use our daughter like that" she moaned before staring at him. "Hurry up and take the picture Richard Castle" she explained as he nodded and quickly took the image before waving his finger at her for her come to over. Walking over, Kate smiled as she quickly kissed him before lacing her fingers with his for a moment as he continued to watch her. "Come on where are we going now Rick?" she asked as he shrugged and began to lead her away.

"We can go anywhere we want too Katie" he admitted as she laughed gently, falling silent when excitement covered her face. "We should get a cab to Whitechapel".

"Why would we want to do that?" she asked quickly as he smiled. "What's in Whitechapel anyway that has you this excited?" she questioned.

"Jack the Ripper was in Whitechapel we could go on a tour, I've read loads about the tours. They're supposed to be really cool" he explained as she rolled her eyes. "Kate it's so us, you're a cop and I'm a mystery writer, it would be awesome to go on a Jack the Ripper tour".

"Rick it's our honeymoon, no murder, no crime, nothing. This is supposed to be about getting away from our normal lives and celebrating the fact that we're going to be spending the rest of our lives together" she ordered as he nodded slowly, obviously looking disappointed at the fact she'd said no. "Maybe at a later date we can go on one but it's not the first thing I want to do here" she admitted as he nodded and kissed her quickly; knowing that she was probably right.

XOXOXOOXOXOOXXO

Shutting her eyes, Kate smiled as she relaxed back in the bath and felt the warm water cover her replacing the cold her body had been after they'd run back to the hotel when the rain began to pour down. Hearing the door open further in the suite, she slowly opened her eyes at the sound of Rick thanking whoever was at the door before the door shut again. Hearing footsteps approaching her, Kate smiled as she turned her head to see the writer standing in the doorway with a bottle of champagne in his hands with two glasses.

"What's this Rick?" Kate smiled as he knelt down beside the bath and kissed her before undoing the bottle of champagne, both of them laughing at the large pop that the bottle made.

"I'm treating my new wife to a drink because she's legally allowed to in this country" he admitted, pouring her a glass as she watched in amazement, unable to stop herself from smiling as he held it up for her. Taking it from him, Kate gently leant across to kiss him before taking a sip of the liquid and smiling.

"Do you want to join me husband? It's nice and warm in here but I'm really lonely without you in this big big bath tub" she asked, staring at the bath as he nodded and began to undo his shirt before kicking off the rest of his clothes and slipping into the warm water with her. Laughing when she moved towards him, the writer smiled as she gently kissed him before straddling his body in the bath and staring at him. "What happens next in the lives of Richard and Katherine Castle then?" she asked as he stared at her for a moment.

"We enjoy our honeymoon, go home to New York, continue on with our amazing careers where you will one day make Detective Katherine Castle in homicide and we'll continue on being great parents to Alexis and maybe one day some more Castle babies" he declared as she smiled for a moment and nodded before kissing him as his hands ran up her back. "I can't believe that we're actually married now Katie, it feels like only a few weeks ago we were meeting in that coffee shop for the first time" he explained as she sighed.

"You better start believing it Rick because you're stuck with me forever" she explained as he nodded, her lips moving to his neck as she smiled. "And ever" she added. "And ever" she whispered, deepening the kiss she was pressing his neck as he shut his eyes and moaned. "I think baby Castle's sound amazing one day Mr Castle" she admitted as his body tensed. "I mean not now, I want to be more stable in my job first but it's something I really want with you".

"I love you beautiful" he whispered as she quickly pressed a kiss to his lips, smiling when he brushed her hair away from her face. "You've really changed since we've been together Kate" he commented as she watched him in confusion. "When I first met you Kate you were this shy teenager who was hiding her friend's shadow who hadn't ever been in a serious relationship before and now you're twenty years old, you're married with the job you really want to do and we've got a family together" he explained.

"You've changed too" she whispered as he nodded slowly. "You've gone from writing novels to writing bestsellers Rick and I know you were scared of this much commitment to someone when we started this because of everything with Meredith but you're married now and we're going to be so happy" she smiled as he nodded in response. "This relationship has been good for us both and I wouldn't change anything about this" she explained as he shook his head, knowing there was one thing he would have changed if he could have. "What would you change?" she asked.

"I would have gone back in time and saved your mom so she could be there at our wedding Kate" he admitted as tears filled her eyes. "I know you wanted her there Kate, I know you wanted her there to help you with the dress and the planning but you did such an amazing job without her and wherever she is right now, she is going to be so proud of the woman you've become" he explained as she rested her forehead against his while silence fell over them. "It's kind of awkward thinking about your mom when we're in the bath naked and you're straddling me like the sexy person that you are" he admitted as Kate laughed gently and nodded.

"Defiantly awkward".


	41. Chapter 41

Turning onto her side, the brunette yawned as she quickly ran her arm under the blanket into the space beside her, expecting to find her husband but instead finding an empty space. Opening her eyes quickly, Kate felt the confusion cover her face before she sat up and held the sheet around her nude body, looking around the hotel suite to find that it was completely silent. Where the hell was he? Staring down at the space beside her, the brunette smiled as she found a note resting on Rick's pillow, her fingers quickly lifting it up before staring at the writer's scribbled handwriting. Reading that he'd gone out to buy food for them for that day, the brunette sighed as she grabbed the shirt that Rick had been wearing the previous evening before dressing herself in it and walking towards the balcony door. There was one thing she could say about England and that was that it never seemed to stop raining. Hearing the door open, Kate quickly turned to see the writer standing in the doorway with two bags while his clothes revealed how wet it was outside.

"Oh god, get out of those clothes now" she ordered as he smirked at her comment. "Not like that Rick, you'll get sick and that will ruin everything we have planned" she explained as he nodded and rested the bags on the table before kicking off his shoes and undoing his clothes. Throwing them onto the floor quickly, Rick sighed as he walked towards the bedroom while Kate watched him proudly walk around the suite completely naked. "So what did you get?" she asked as he laughed from within the bedroom, not surprised that she immediately wanted to know what he'd purchased that day.

"I bought just some junk food to snack on, nothing particularly special, just a naughty treat for the two of us" he explained from within the room as Kate nodded and slowly entered the bedroom of find the writer pulling on a fresh pair of boxers. Wrapping her arms around him, Kate sighed as he gently pressed a kiss into her hair and held her close for a moment as she relaxed against him. "You okay?" he asked as she nodded slowly, her eyes shutting as she remained close to him.

"I just didn't like waking up without you there beside me Rick" she admitted as he gently pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I'm used to normally waking up before you or with you, it just feels weird waking up after you" she explained as he laughed and gently rested his finger under her chin as he gently pushed her head up so he could kiss her properly. "I'll leave you to get dressed" she whispered, slowly moving out of his arms as the writer watched her slip away from him.

"Kate" he called out, stopping her from moving as a small smile covered her face when she turned to look at him. "I haven't told you that I love you this morning" he admitted as her head shook. "I love you beautiful, I love you so much" he stated as she bit into her bottom lip. Walking over to her, Rick smiled as he tightly wrapped his arms around her and stared down at her for a moment.

"I love you too" she whispered, kissing him gently as he sighed and rested his forehead against her head, not knowing what to suggest that they do for the day. "We could always go out in the rain, I have a jacket and I'm sure it'll be fine. It might actually be fun" she explained as he nodded and squeezed her hand. "We could go to the history museum, they have a dinosaur and a whale" she whispered as shock covered his face.

"They have a whale in the museum?" he asked as she nodded and smiled at him, knowing that she was going to win with this idea. "We're going to the museum today, get dressed Katie" he cheered as she laughed at his obvious excitement and moved towards the wardrobe to pull out something to wear. "Oh Kate, I bought you something today, I saw it and I thought it was cute" he commented as she groaned and turned to look at him as he pulled his jeans on. "I'll give it to you once you're dressed" he explained, watching as she pulled his shirt off to reveal her completely naked body. "Kate" he moaned as confusion covered her face.

"What?"

"Why do you have to do that?" he asked as she pulled on her underwear before grabbing a pair of jeans.

"Do what?" she asked.

"Why did you have to stand there completely naked for a couple of minutes? We make plans and now I don't want to go out because I want to make love to my wife again because she's so unbelievably sexy and a major tease" he moaned as she laughed and walked towards him, her lips finding his quickly as she sighed.

"If we go to the museum for the day and see the dinosaurs and the whale and all the other stuff, when we come home I'll model another piece of sexy underwear that I bought when I was with Lanie" she whispered against his lips as he moaned at the whole idea. "Do we have an agreement?" she asked.

"We defiantly do" he smiled, a laugh leaving her lips as she took a step away and grabbed a t-shirt; completely aware that Rick was watching her every move.

XOXOXOXOXXOXO

"You're such a child sometimes" she laughed after he'd squealed in excitement at realising he was stood underneath the blue whale. "It's pretty cool though" she admitted, a laugh leaving his lips as he tightly wrapped an arm around her hips, unable to stop himself from smiling at the fact that men were turning around and watching her. He was actually married to the most gorgeous woman in the world! "When Alexis is older we'll have to bring her here, she would love this" she admitted as Rick nodded and kissed her again, her arms wrapping around his neck as she moaned in response. "What was that for?" she whispered.

"Just thinking about you modelling for me tonight" he whispered as she laughed and gently brushed her lips against his, teasing him slightly. "Can I take pictures?" he asked.

"Of the museum?" she asked as he shook his head at her response.

"Of you, modelling for me" he explained as her head immediately shook. "Come on, we haven't got any sexy photos of you Kate, I want to keep some so when I'm forced on book tours I have you with me" he declared as her head shook again. "I'll be alone on my tours then without any pictures of my beautiful wife with me to keep me happy when I remember what I have at home and feel all alone in a big city by myself" he whispered.

"No you won't because I'll be there with you on every single tour from now on" she smiled as his eyebrows rose. "I want to travel the world with you Rick, I want to show everyone that you are taken and no one can ever have you but me" she whispered as he tightened his arms around her and laughed, unable to stop himself from smiling at everything that was running through his mind. Kate wanted to come on book tours with him. Kate was married to him. Kate was the mother of his daughter now and wanted babies with him in the future. Kate was his future now and he was completely in love with the idea. Feeling her moving out of his arms, Rick sighed as he continued to stare the exhibition before turning to see that Kate wasn't standing beside him.

"Kate?" he asked quickly as he looked around to find Kate stood on the other side of the room, kneeling beside a screaming boy. Walking towards her, the writer smiled as Kate stared at the little boy who was in front of her. "Kate?" he asked quickly.

"Rick this is Noah, he can't find his mom" she explained as the writer nodded and smiled at the little boy who was still sobbing. "What does your mommy look like sweetheart? Maybe we can help you find her" she admitted as the little boy nodded and took hold of her hand, smiling when she quickly took a tissue out of her bag and wiped his tears away. "So what does your mommy look like?" she asked.

"She's tall and she has blonde hair and she's wearing a red coat" he stated as she nodded and stood up, looking around to see if there was anyone who matched that description.

"Noah" a voice called out behind them as Kate turned and saw the described woman walking towards them as the little boy let go of her hand and ran towards his mother. "Oh thank god" the woman smiled as she held her son close to her body as Kate smiled at them before cuddling into Rick's side. "Thank you for finding him, he has this habit of just disappearing" she admitted as Kate shrugged.

"We have a daughter, we understand completely" Rick stated as the brunette nodded in agreement.

"Well thank you, you never know what could happen" she admitted as Kate nodded again, smiling when the woman thanked them again.

"Thank you Katie" Noah whispered as he cuddled his head into his mother's shoulder as they said goodbye and walked away from them as Rick tightened his arms around his wife and kissed her quickly.

"What was that for?" she asked.

"I just love maternal Kate, I think she's wonderful" he whispered as she smiled and shrugged.

"Come on let's continue looking around" she declared, leading him out of that specific room.

XOXOOXOXXOXXO

"Have you written in your little book about our wedding yet?" Kate asked from the en-suite as the writer laughed and looked across at the diary that was resting on the bed. He was amazed that she knew he'd brought the book with him. Since his accident, it had become a constant occasion to lie on the bed and read extracts that he'd written over their relationship. "Will you read some more to me?" the brunette questioned as the writer smiled and opened the book, staring at the small extract that he'd written on their wedding day.

"Can I just say that this isn't my best extract?" he laughed as she smiled from with en-suite. "Today I got married again and this time it's forever and it also helps that my wife is the sexiest and gorgeous being in the whole world. She looked stunning in her mother's wedding dress, I can't believe how breath taking she was when she walked down the aisle with a massive smile on her face. Then later on when we were all alone in her old bedroom in the cabin she walks in this tiny lace outfit and I kind help but feel like the luckiest man in the world" he stated, unaware that the door had opened and Kate was staring at him in silence. Looking up, Rick felt the shock cover his face as he shut the book and watched her walk towards him before she leant down and kissed him. "I'm the luckiest man in the world" he whispered as he pulled her down to lie beside him.

"You could say that Rick" she mumbled before kissing him as his hands began to run across the minimal material.


	42. Chapter 42

"Hey" Rick whispered as he walked out onto the balcony to find Kate sat in the corner staring out at the view, a small smile covering her face as she took in all the lights and noises around them while she wrapped her arms around herself to keep herself warm. Feeling the writer move to sit behind her, Kate relaxed as her head rested against his chest and his arms snuck around her body to keep her warm. "What are you thinking about?" he asked as her eyes shut before she shook her head and groaned. "Come on tell me".

"I don't think I'm prepared to open my mom's case when we get back to New York Rick" she admitted as confusion covered his face at the idea. "I know that when I started training it was all I wanted but I tried for a few weeks to solve my mom's case and I almost destroyed the relationship I have with Alexis and I'm not prepared to give up my life, she wouldn't want me to give up the people who make me happy" she explained as tears ran down her cheeks as the guilt built up inside her.

"But we'd do it together this time Kate, I'd be there to pull you back from going too far and you'd do the same for me" he declared as she shook her head and turned to look at him with tears in her eyes. "Kate, I don't want you to feel like you have to give this up because you're married" he whispered as she laughed and moved to straddle him, her hands resting against his cheek as she stared at him. "Katie" he mumbled.

"Rick don't you see? I'm choosing you, I'm choosing to focus on our lives rather than my mom's death, you should be happy about that" she explained, kissing him gently as he remained perfectly still, completely shocked by the fact that she had dramatically changed her mind.

"But…" he whispered as she shook her head and kissed him again. "Kate this is your mom, you really want to give this up?" he mumbled.

"She would want me to be happy, she would want me to live my life Rick and that's what I want too" she explained as he sighed, knowing that one day Kate was going to regret this decision. Smiling in Rick's arms, Kate sighed as she stared at the darkness around them. "How was Alexis when you called?" she asked as the writer laughed.

"She doesn't believe me about standing under the whale, she thinks I'm making up the whale" he admitted as Kate nodded, not surprised that the redhead didn't believe them. "She can't wait for us to come home, she misses us Katie" he admitted as she sighed and lifted his hand to her lips so she could kiss his knuckles gently. "I miss her as well".

"I miss her too" Kate admitted as she sighed. "I can't wait to go home and cuddle her, I'm so excited about seeing her again Rick" she laughed, smiling at the idea of the seven year old meeting them at the airport like they were planning. "I can't wait to start married life with you" she declared as he nodded. "When we get home they should have the wedding photos ready, I can't wait to see them" she explained as he laughed and nodded.

"I want to see the ones they took of you and Alexis on the swing because both of you looked so beautiful that evening" he declared as she turned her head and kissed him quickly as he slowly ran his hand across her stomach and sighed. "I also want to see the pictures they took of the actual ceremony".

"I loved that you decided to have us get married by that tree Rick, it was so romantic and beautiful, it felt like mom was there with me" she admitted as he smiled and kissed her gently, glad that she was happy with their wedding and everything he'd done. "It meant so much to me that you chose something that was personal for us rather than a building that was nice but had nothing to do with our relationship" she admitted as he laughed and gently pressed a kiss into her hair.

"Kate, I wanted to give you your fairy tale" he explained as she stared at him for a moment before kissing him.

"You achieved it Rick" she whispered gently. "You gave me the fairy tale that I didn't even know I wanted".

XOXOXOXOXOOXXO

Moving her rook, Kate smiled as she looked across at the writer who was dressed in a t-shirt and boxers with the largest smile covering his face as she knocked down his chess piece and beamed. She was winning and he didn't care; he just loved watching her smile grow every time she removed one of his pieces and the small cheer she did under her breath after she'd thrown them down on the floor.

"I'm getting good at this game Mr Castle, I'm kind of enjoying this" she commented as he nodded in agreement and leant across to kiss her gently as she laughed. "Don't try and think you can seduce me into letting you win" she laughed as he shook his head and moved back into his seat as she tied her hair back and smiled at him as he stuck his tongue out at her. "Grow up and take your turn Rick" she declared as he smiled and quickly moved his queen, knocking over her rook as shock covered her face. "That's not fair" she moaned.

"Check mate Kate, check mate. I do believe I have now won" he declared as she stood up and knocked the pieces off the board as his eyebrows rose in shock. "And you say I need to grow up Kate? You're so childish sometimes" he stated as Kate shrugged and jumped onto the table, smiling at him as confusion covered his face as she bit into her lip and stared at him.

"Take me Richard Castle" she stated as he laughed in shock. "Take me, right here, right now" she ordered as he stood up and quickly kissed her, unable to stop herself from smiling as his fingers moved to pull her t-shirt up.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

"Stop flicking bubbles at me Rick" Kate squealed as the writer flicked more bubbles at her as they sat on opposite ends of the bath staring at each other. Laughing as she did the same thing to him, Kate smiled as the writer glared at her before moving closer and kissing her passionately, a small moan leaving both their lips as they pulled away from each other. "I was thinking that maybe we could out dancing or something tonight" she admitted as his eyebrows rose. "I'm bored of the hotel room Rick, it's late but I'm not tired so why not go out and enjoy ourselves?" she suggested as he nodded and climbed out of the bath before wrapping a towel tightly around him as she smiled. "Are we going out then?" she asked.

"Of course we are Kate, if you want to go out then I'm going to take out for the evening" he declared before disappearing as a laugh left her lips before she noticed something.

"You've stolen both towels" she screamed as he laughed from within in their bedroom.

"Yep" he smiled as she groaned. "You're going to have to come and get one" he smirked as glared across at the bathroom door. Why wasn't this a surprise to her? Climbing out of the bath slowly, Kate smiled as she realised that she had to act like this wasn't bothering her because then Rick would win and she wasn't going to let him beat her twice in one night. Walking towards the bathroom door, the brunette smiled as she stepped out and quickly walked past him to the wardrobe where she lifted out a tight black dress. "Do you want your towel?" he asked.

"I didn't realise I wasn't wearing one actually" she smiled as she turned around to look at him. "Thanks" she beamed as she took the towel from him and quickly wrapped it around her body as his eyes continued to stare down at her. "Rick, my eyes are up here on my face; women like it when you look at their eyes rather than their breasts, it means you respect them for being a person more than a sex object" she stated as he nodded and continued to stare at her body in silence. "You do respect me as a person don't you Mr Castle?" she asked as he looked up at her and tightly wrapped his arms around her body.

"Katherine Beckett, I respect everything about you from the work you do to your perfect body but you're never going to be a sex object" he smiled as she rolled her eyes and kissed him quickly, knowing she wasn't going to get anything better out of the man. "Now go and get dressed, I'm going to ask someone where a good place to go clubbing is for my beautiful wife" he declared as he pulled on some clothes before walking over and kissing her cheek and leaving the room silently.

XOXOXOXOXOXOX

"This is amazing Rick" Kate laughed as she entered the nightclub with his arm wrapped tightly around her hips as he looked down at her before gently kissing her. "I must say this was a brilliant idea of mine Mr Castle" she commented as he laughed and nodded, leading her towards the large crowd that was dancing as she stared at him and clung onto his hand quickly. "Stay close to me Rick" she whispered, suddenly feeling rather nervous about the whole situation.

"Of course Katie" he declared, pressing a kiss into her hair gently before turning her so that her back was pressed against his chest. Slowly moving to the music, Rick smiled as Kate laughed and allowed him to place his hand on her stomach as she slowly closed her eyes and danced with him, enjoying the feeling of being close to him. Hearing the song finish, Kate smiled as a faster song started and she turned to face her husband. "You're so hot Katherine Castle, you're so unbelievably sexy" he commented as she laughed and kissed him quickly, not knowing what else to do as they began to dance along to the next song as smiles covered their faces every time they looked at each other.

"Why don't we go and get something to drink and then dance again? I need a drink right now" she suggested as the writer nodded and led her away from the dancing crowd to the large group of people that were forming around the bar. Stating their drink orders, Rick smiled as he watched the younger man make their drinks while his eyes focused on Kate every time he looked at them with a small smile covering his face.

"He's watching you" Rick whispered in her ear as Kate groaned at her close he was and how sexy his voice sounded when he became possessive of her. "He can see how beautiful you are and he wants you all to himself Katherine like every other man who looks at you for even a second" he smiled as she rolled her eyes and watched as the man put their drinks down and smiled at them. Lifting her glass up, Kate groaned at the number that was resting on a card underneath it.

"Do you have a pen on you?" Kate asked as confusion covered his face. "Richard Castle you're a writer, I know you'll have a pen somewhere on your person so get it out" the brunette explained as he nodded and removed the pen from his jacket pocket, smiling as she quickly wrote something on the card and waved the barman over. Smiling as the man walked over, Kate quickly led across the bar and slipped the card into the man's shirt pocket as Rick watched her in shock. What she was doing? "I'm married" she whispered in the man's ear before moving away and looking at the writer. "Husband are you coming to dance with me?" she asked as Rick nodded and laughed as she led him away as the barman removed the card from his pocket and stared at what she'd written under his phone number.

_Too late! Next time look at fingers before breasts!_

**I'm thinking that this story may end soon as I have ideas for a third story in this collection which will be a lot more deep and contain more angst if it's wanted (there will still be a lot of fluffy Caskett in it as well). Anyway tell me what you think of another sequel. Do you want it or not? Is it something that sounds interesting?**

**Also I know Kate giving up her mother's case so easily seems really out of character but I promise, it links to my brilliant master plan that should hopefully work! See if I was an evil villain, I would be that famous laugh by now! **

**Anyway please review, I love hearing from you all and it means so much to me to know whether y you're still interested or not. **


	43. Chapter 43

**So the newlyweds are back in New York in this chapter so please review and tell me what you think. I think this story will come to an end before it reaches fifty chapters so I hope you're excited about seeing where our favourite couple's journey goes and I hope you stay with me! **

"Mommy, daddy" Alexis screamed as she ran over and tightly wrapped her arms around the two adults who smiled down at her in amazement. They hadn't realised how much they'd missed the little girl until the moment they had her back in their arms again. Kneeling down, Kate smiled as she quickly wrapped her arms around her daughter before pressing a kiss to Alexis' forehead as the redhead smiled at her before tightly wrapping her arms around the brunette's neck. "I've missed you mommy" the redhead whispered in Kate's ear as the brunette nodded in agreement.

"Haven't missed me then Alexis? I'm your father and everything remember" Rick moaned as Alexis moved away from Kate and quickly wrapped her arms around her father who beamed and pressed a kiss to her cheek as she tightly wound her arms around his neck. "I've missed you my beautiful little girl, I've missed you so much" the writer admitted as Jim and Martha quickly walked over to join them after finding where everyone had disappeared too. "Hello mother, Jim" the writer smiled as he quickly put Alexis back down before hugging his mother and shaking Jim's hand as Kate smiled.

"You go on holiday but do you come back with a tan? I think that's a first for you Richard, you always come home with a lovely tan from your holidays" Martha asked as she shook her head while Kate and Rick laughed, remembering how terrible the weather had been for most of their honeymoon.

"It rained most of the time we were there actually" Rick admitted as Kate nodded and hugged her father who held her tightly as she laughed for a moment. "It was nice though" the writer explained as Kate nodded and moved out of her father's arms to allow Rick to wrap his arms around the brunette tightly.

"We had an amazing time and the hotel suite was stunning, it had the most amazing view of Hyde Park, I was literally in shock the moment I walked through the door. It was literally like Rick had bought an apartment for the fortnight" she admitted as Martha laughed, Jim smiling as they began to walk towards the exit. "We took loads of photographs, we even got them developed there so we could show you tonight" she explained as Martha nodded again and gently pressed a kiss to her daughter in laws cheek.

XOXOXOXOOXOX

"Welcome home Kate, Rick" everyone screamed as the couple entered the apartment to see Lanie, Javier, Kevin and Jenny stood in the apartment beaming at them as Kate laughed and walked over to hug Lanie quickly as Rick smiled at everyone and dumped their suitcases by the door, not bothering to take them the rest of the way.

"So tell us everything about London Kate, we want to hear about everything you did" Lanie stated as she pulled Kate down onto the couch as Rick laughed and watched them.

"Well we don't want to hear about everything you did, if you get what we mean" Javier smiled as Lanie laughed while both Kate and Rick rolled their eyes and their friends comments; not surprised that Lanie and Javier had managed to bring up sex in the first five minutes of seeing them again.

"Javi, little ears" Kate warned before sighing and thinking about what to tell them first about their honeymoon. "We were in the most amazing hotel suite, it had the most amazing balcony and it over looked Hype Park and it was as big as the loft. Oh my god it was amazing" Kate laughed as Rick smiled and sat down beside his wife before pulling her onto his lap quickly.

"Thank god the hotel suite was amazing because the weather certainly wasn't" Rick joked as Lanie smiled at them, listening to everything they were saying as the whole group moved to sit around the newlyweds. "We went to see where the queen lives on our first day which was pretty cool" he declared as Kate nodded and relaxed into Rick's arms, unable to stop herself from smiling at the memories of their honeymoon.

"We went to the museums too but our favourite was the history museum because of the dinosaurs and the whale" she stated as the writer smiled at the memory of maternal Kate with the lost Noah. "I can't believe how amazing it was, standing under a real blue whale" she declared as shock covered Javier and Kevin's faces.

"You stood under a whale?" Kevin asked as Kate nodded and reached down for her purse, bringing out the photographs before flicking through them to find the image of Rick standing underneath the whale while pulling a stupid face. Passing the picture to Kevin, Kate smiled as the cop laughed at the image before passing it around to everyone.

"You weren't lying about it daddy" Alexis declared in shock as Rick laughed at his daughter's amazed expression.

"When do I ever lie to you pumpkin?" Rick smiled as Alexis shook her head slowly before relaxing back into the couch as she continued to hold the photograph. "What else did we do Kate?" Rick asked as the brunette sighed.

"We went dancing one night which was pretty fun actually" she stated as he nodded, remembering the sight of her whispering in the barman's ear while the man continued to stare at her in the tight black dress. "We were dancing for about four hours and then had to walk back to the hotel" she explained as the writer cleared his throat. "Okay Rick walked and I was carried back" she explained.

"What happened to you Kate?" Jenny asked.

"Kate was half asleep on the way home and somehow managed to break the heel off her shoe when we walked out of the club so I carried her back to the hotel because it would have been mean to make her walk all that way" he explained as embarrassment covered her face at the memory of people staring at her as he carried her into the hotel building. "We also went on a tour of the Thames which was amusing because it poured down and we both were completely drenched by the end of it" Rick smiled as Kate nodded, laughing at the whole idea of it.

"And one night Rick took me out to dinner at this amazing Italian and then he surprised me by taking me to see a West end show" she admitted as both Jenny and Lanie gasped in amazement. "We went to see Phantom of the Opera and it was amazing" she declared as Martha nodded in agreement. "Even if Rick sung along to every song" she muttered as everyone but the writer laughed.

"And then we made out in the cab back to the hotel" he whispered as Kate hit him in the arm while Jim rolled his eyes at the couple before there was a knock at the apartment door.

"I'll get it" Jim stated before disappearing out of sight. Hearing footsteps approach them a few minutes later, Kate turned her head to see her father approaching her with Mike Royce.

"Hey kid" Royce smiled as Kate stood up and walked towards him before hugging him as Rick smiled at the two of them. "Can I talk to you quickly?" he asked quickly as she nodded and excused herself before leading him into Rick's office. "You looked beautiful on your wedding day, I'm sorry I didn't get the chance to tell you but you know what it's like when a case comes in" he explained as she nodded and sat down as he sighed.

"What do you want to talk about?" Kate asked as he sighed.

"Kid, you're moving on now, you're not going to be my partner now you're going to move to a different precinct and everything and well I'm moving away" he explained as shock covered her face. "I'm going to retire and go to California, I feel like I need more sun now" he laughed as she stood up and quickly wrapped her arms around him.

"I don't want you to leave Royce" she whispered as he laughed.

"Kate you're the best person I've ever trained, I know you're going to be an amazing detective one day and I know that you will do it before anyone else. You're going to be brilliant kid" he smiled as tears ran down her cheeks. Royce was leaving her too! Royce who'd saved her life when she was almost shot. Royce who had supported her and shown her everything she hadn't known about being a cop! "You're going to be brilliant kid, never forget that".

"You're going to be so bored in California" she laughed as he shrugged.

"I'll try surfing or something like that, I need to do something new with my life Kate before it's all gone" he declared as she rolled her eyes, unable to think of Mike Royce surfing. "We're both starting new chapters kid; I'm retiring and going away to do something new and you're married and moving to a new precinct and starting to gain the most amazing career" he explained as she nodded slowly, silence filling the room as the door creaked open to reveal the writer.

"Hey we're ordering pizza" he stated as Kate nodded. "Do you want to stay Royce?" he asked as the detective stared down at his partner who quickly nodded.

"Of course he's staying for pizza" Kate declared as the writer nodded and disappeared again to order the food as Kate smiled up at the older man. "Mike Royce, retired" she laughed as he shrugged.

"Time to move on with my life Kate, I need a new adventure" he declared as she wrapped her arms around his neck quickly before pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Finally, a kiss from Katherine Beck…" he began before falling silent. "Katherine Castle" he declared as she nodded and took a step away from him as she stared down at the rings that were decorating her finger.

"Come on, I haven't finished reliving my honeymoon with people so come and listen to everything we did in London" she stated as he laughed and followed her out of the room to see everyone looking at them.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

"So what did Royce want Katie?" Rick asked as he stood in the kitchen with Kate as they made drinks for everyone else.

"He's retiring" she stated as shock covered his face. "And I'll be moving to a new precinct soon and working towards becoming detective" she explained as he nodded slowly and quickly kissed her, knowing that she was still shocked by how much was changing in her life. "Everything's changing Rick, everything's changing so much and it's starting to scare me" she sighed as she relaxed back against the kitchen side and shut her eyes.

"Change is good though Kate" he smiled as she nodded and opened her eyes to look at him. "Change is a good thing sweetheart, I promise, even if it does seem weird at the start" he explained, kissing her gently before moving away to take hold of the tray with everyone's drinks on. "Come on you, let's go and join the family" he declared, nudging her out of the kitchen as she smiled and saw everyone sat around the pizza box covered coffee table. "So Royce when do you officially retire?" Rick asked as the detective looked up at him and smiled.

"Next week actually, I have a flight to California already booked for the Friday" he explained as shock covered Kate's face. He was going away that fast? "But I want to be there when my partner finds out where she's assigned so my flight isn't until the evening" he declared as she nodded and sat down beside him as Rick beamed, desperately trying to lighten the mood. He knew Kate was losing a friend and she was still getting over the initial shock. "But tonight isn't about me; did you two have a good time in London?"

"Yes, we had an amazing time" Rick smile as he sat down on the edge of the seat before looking down at his wife. "Didn't we Kate?" he asked as she nodded and smiled.

"Yeah we had a fantastic time, I was defiantly spoilt for two whole weeks" she stated before watching as Alexis yawned and shut her eyes for a moment. "Go and get ready for bed sweetheart, I'll come and read you a story in a minute" Kate explained as she gently pressed a kiss into Alexis' hair before the redhead disappeared upstairs; Rick smiling proudly as Kate relaxed and shut her eyes for a moment.

"Mommy, come and read me a story please" Alexis called from up the stairs as Kate excused herself and disappeared up the stairs to find the redhead sat at the top waiting for her. "Hello mommy" the redhead smiled as Kate nodded and took hold of her hand before leading her into her bedroom. Laughing as the redhead jumped onto the bed, Kate laughed as she sat down on the edge of the bed and stared at a photograph she hadn't seen before.

"Where did you get this from sweetheart?" Kate asked as she stared at the image of her and the redhead on the swing on her wedding day while large smiles covered their faces.

"Gram picked up your photos yesterday, they're downstairs, and she said I could have one of these photos" the seven year old explained as Kate nodded and beamed at the image, loving how happy they both seemed in the picture. "Can we read our story now mom?" she asked as she passed the brunette the book and watched as Kate slowly moved to sit beside her daughter as the redhead cuddled into her side in silence. Reading the first few chapters slowly, Kate smiled as she looked down and stared at the redhead who was beaming up at her.

"Why aren't you asleep?" she questioned gently as Alexis shrugged.

"I've missed you mommy" Alexis admitted as Kate laughed and kicked her shoes off before crawling under the covers with Alexis who quickly moved into her arms. "Was London fun mommy?" the redhead asked as Kate nodded and stared at the seven year old, realising how much she'd missed her daughter.

"It was amazing sweetheart" Kate admitted as she held her daughter close to her before shutting her eyes. "One day I'll take you there, the three of us on holiday or something. I'll take you to see all the wonderful things that your father took me to see" she explained as the redhead nodded and yawned again as her eyes shut again as Kate held her close. "I'm going to take you to so many places on day Alexis" she whispered. "I went to Russia as a teenager, you'd love Russia beautiful it's an amazing place" she declared as she yawned.

XOXOXOXOXOXOX

"Where's the wife gone Rick?" Javier asked a few hours later as he finished the final slice of pizza and stared at the writer who quickly stood up and began to walk towards the stairs. Creeping up the stairs, Rick sighed as he pushed his daughter's door opened to see both Kate and Alexis fast asleep under the blanket with their arms wrapped around each other. Walking towards them, Rick slowly pressed a kiss to each of their head's before slowly walking out of the room and down the stairs again. "Is she still reading?" Javier asked as Rick shook his head.

"Both Castle women are fast asleep in bed" he declared as Jenny and Lanie smiled at the comment. "First night home after the wedding and my wife is already sleeping in another bed" he commented as everyone laughed at his frustration as he sat down and relaxed. "It's good to be home, I will admit that" he admitted as his mother smiled at him before standing up and saying goodnight as she disappeared up the stairs.

"We should get going" Javier admitted as he looked at Lanie who quickly nodded and stood up with him. "Thanks for the pizza man, it was great" he declared as the writer nodded.

"I'm glad you had a great honeymoon" Lanie stated as the writer smiled.

"Lanie thanks as well" he explained as confusion covered her face. Why was he thanking her? "Your shopping abilities are wonderful" he hinted as she nodded and smiled.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it Mr Castle" Lanie smiled as confusion covered Javier's face. "None of your business" she stated before saying goodbye to everyone and walking towards the door with her boyfriend following closely behind.

"We should go too" Jenny admitted as she stared at the writer who nodded again and smiled as the blonde stood up beside Kevin and smiled at the writer. "Thank you for an amazing evening" she stated as he nodded and thanked them before watching them leave.

"Right" he whispered as he looked around to find something to do. "I guess it's either writing or bed" he muttered to himself before smiling, realising that he was wide awake and not even close to being able to sleep. "Better start writing the next bestseller" he whispered before disappearing into his office where at nine o'clock the following morning he would be found by his wife fast asleep in his chair.


	44. Chapter 44

Slipping past the excited crowds, Kate sighed as she walked down the stairs towards the records room. Practically all the over beat cops were waiting to find out where they were being placed but she didn't care, she had more important things to do. Pulling out her mother's file, Kate sighed as she stared at it for a moment before biting into her lip, hating the fact that there were already tears running down her face.

"God I'm such a wimp sometimes" she muttered as she held it for a moment. "I guess this is it" she whispered to herself before confusion covered her face. Why was she talking to herself? There was no one here to listen to her. Opening the file slowly, Kate sighed as she ran her finger across the beaming image of her mother that Detective Raglan had taken when he'd come to her dad's apartment to tell her that Johanna Beckett was never going to come home again and the person who had killed her had got away! "I'm sorry mom" she whispered as she sighed. "But I want to live the life you gave me, I want to enjoy my marriage, I want to be a mom" she declared as she looked at the image again, her tearful eyes observing her mother's smiling face. "I want you to be proud of what I've achieved in life". Hearing the door open and close, Kate turned quickly to see an older man standing there looking at her.

"You're not supposed to be down here Officer" he commented as she nodded and stood up, closing the file quickly as she stared at him in silence. "What's your name?" he asked as she bit into her lip for a moment.

"Beckett… I mean Castle… Officer Castle" she moaned as he laughed at the annoyance that was covering her face at the fact that she'd gone wrong with her name. "I just got married" she admitted as an explanation as he nodded and smiled at her. "I should get going, I need to find out where I'm…" she began as he nodded and watched her put the file away.

"What file are you looking at then Officer Beckett?" he asked as she watched him walk towards her and take the file from her as she bit into her lip when he opened it and stared at the image before looking up at her. "Relative?" he guessed as she nodded slowly.

"My mom" she admitted as he nodded, taking in the similarity between mother and daughter. "She was murdered last year and they've never caught the killer" she explained as he nodded again, flicking through the file as she bit into her lip. "I was trying to see whether I could find anything but I've decided for my family that I can't do this, I can't put my whole life into this case anymore" the brunette admitted as he nodded slowly. "And I'm sure you didn't want to know all of that" she declared as he shrugged.

"You need to talk to someone, it's obvious Officer Castle" he declared as she smiled and walked with him towards the door. "Montgomery by the way, I'm Captain Montgomery of the twelfth precinct" he explained as she nodded and smiled before disappearing up the stairs to find what precinct she was assigned too. Finding Javier and Kevin, Kate smiled as the three of them stood together for a moment.

"You ready?" Javier asked as she nodded and walked towards the board with them to find their names. "Twelfth" he declared as he moved.

"Twelfth too" Kevin beamed as he fist pumped the other detective as Kate looked for her own name. "Kate?" he asked quickly as Kate turned to look at them before nodding.

"Twelfth" she stated as they all cheered, excited to be together again.

XOOXOXOXOOXOXOX

"Has anyone seen Royce?" Kate asked as she turned to see whether her partner was still in the precinct where nearly everyone was discussing how where the beat cops were being moved too. Watching as everyone shook her head in response to her question, Kate sighed as she walked towards the door to see a man walking towards her.

"Kate Castle?" he asked as she nodded and watched as she passed him a note before walking off. Ripping off the envelope, Kate slowly moved towards the break room as Ryan and Esposito watched her before sitting down and staring at the scribbled letter in Royce's handwriting.

_Kate, _

_Sorry kid but I told you the wrong plane time on purpose! I'm not good at goodbyes and it was good to just see you smiling with your friends before I left! Have an amazing life with your writer and your little girl, you're a great mother Kate and you're going to be a wonderful detective one day. It was great training you Kate, you've been my most successful partner ever and it's been an honour to watch you grow since you became my partner. _

_Royce_

Feeling the shock cover her face, Kate slowly looked up from the letter to see Javier standing in the doorway with concern covering his face. Walking towards her, Javier slowly sat down before he took hold of her hand and squeezed it as she forced a smile onto her face.

"He's gone, Royce is actually gone" she mumbled as Javier allowed his free arm to wrap around her as she buried her face into his side. "He didn't even say goodbye Javi, why would he do that? I'm his partner for god's sake" she moaned as she shut her eyes and his arms tighten around her.

"I'm sure he has his reasons" the cop whispered as she nodded slowly and remained in his arms before someone cleared their throat in the doorway. Looking up, Kate sighed as she found Rick and Alexis stood in the doorway with concern covering both their faces. "I'll leave you alone" he explained as she nodded and smiled as he slowly walked out of the room passed the writer who was staring at the brunette.

"What's wrong?" he asked as Alexis ran over and tightly wrapped her arms around the brunette who quickly pressed a kiss into her daughter's head as she remained silent. Watching as Kate held out the letter she was clutching, Rick smiled at her gently before taking the letter from her and staring at the letter for a moment. "Oh Kate" he whispered, finally realising why she was upset. Goodbye's meant a lot to her and she hadn't had the chance to say goodbye to another person who was important to her.

"We're going to the park mommy; do you want to come with us?" Alexis asked as Kate looked at the seven year old and nodded slowly before pressing a kiss to her daughter's forehead before standing up and walking towards the writer who wrapped his arms around her for a moment.

"Where's your beautiful smile Kate?" he whispered as she gently kissed him and moved out of the break room to grab her jacket as Rick and Alexis followed her. Watching as she pulled the red coat on, the writer smiled as she walked over and stared at him for a moment. "Come on, let's go to the park and then I'll treat my special women to ice cream" he declared as Alexis cheered and ran towards the elevator while Kate cuddled into Rick's side, not caring who saw her display of affection.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Laughing as Alexis played with the other children in the park, the writer smiled as he sat down on the free swing before pulling the brunette down onto his lap who laughed gently and stared at him as his arms wrapped around her; forcing her to stay close to him as she felt him move the swing back and forwards.

"Royce was scared, it's hard to say goodbye to someone who means a lot to you Katie, you know that" he whispered in her ear as she nodded slowly, knowing that she was taking this too hard. Royce was doing something he wanted desperately to do and she should have been happy for him and here she was desperate for him to come back again so he would be the one saying goodbye to her as she moved on to the next step of her career.

"I know I know I'm being stupid right now" Kate admitted as he shook his head.

"You're not being stupid sweetheart, he saved your life and he meant a lot to you, I know you just wanted a chance to say goodbye and have that closure" he explained as she nodded again, knowing that Rick knew her better than anyone! He also knew how to make her smile afterwards. "What if I ask mother to look after our little girl tonight and we go out for dinner or something? Just some time alone" he declared as she nodded slowly.

"Can we go after Alexis is in bed though? I want to read her story to her and kiss her goodnight" Kate admitted as the writer laughed and nodded, knowing he had married the perfect woman for him. Kate was perfect!

"Of course we can, whatever makes you happy sweetheart" he declared as Alexis ran over and stood in front of them with the largest smile covering her face. "How does mac and cheese sound for dinner tonight pumpkin?" Rick asked as the redhead nodded in excitement as Kate climbed off her husband's lap before grabbing his hand and pulling him off the seat as he laughed. "Right let's go home" he declared as Alexis took hold of his hand tightly before grabbing Kate's with her free hand.

"Let's go home" Alexis practically sung as she began to skip in between them as proud smiles covered both Rick's and Kate's faces.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

"Mommy you look really pretty in your dress" Alexis smiled as Kate entered the seven year olds bedroom and smiled as she did a quick turn to show the knee length black dress she was wearing off to her daughter who was beaming at her in excitement. "Where are you and daddy going tonight?" the redhead asked as Kate shrugged, knowing that the writer was planning on surprising her.

"Your daddy is taking me somewhere secret for dinner sweetheart" Kate admitted as she grabbed their story off the bedside table and slowly opened it to the chapter they'd just finished. Reading the next chapter quickly, Kate smiled as she heard the door creak open before she turned her head to see the writer standing in the doorway with a small smile covering his face. "I need to get going Lex, now get to sleep" Kate declared as she leant across and pressed a kiss to her daughter's forehead as the writer walked towards her and gently pressed a kiss to the redhead's forehead as well.

"Goodnight sweetheart, make sure your gram behaves" he declared as Alexis nodded and yawned. Standing, Rick slowly rested his hand on Kate's back as he began to lead her out of the room as she smiled up at him. "You look beautiful" the writer admitted as she nodded quickly and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Now are you ready to get something to eat?" he asked as she nodded.

"I'm starving" she admitted, a laugh leaving both their lips when her stomach made a noise to back up her statement.

"Better feed my wife, she is beginning to look rather skinny actually" he declared as she rolled her eyes and walked down the stairs beside him, their fingers entwining as they said goodnight to the older redhead who was sat on the couch completely focused on a script before they left the apartment together.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

"Rick, where are we?" Kate laughed as he helped her out of the car as he watched her smile grow while her eyes remained covered by the tie he'd brought with him. "Rick, I want to see come on" she moaned as the writer rolled his eyes at her increasing impatience while he tightened his grip of her hand, knowing to support her as she attempted to walk in the heels she was wearing. Pushing the door open, Rick led her into the dark restaurant before smiling at the man who was walking towards them.

"Mr Castle" he declared as Rick nodded and smiled as the man began to lead him through the restaurant. "You're up some stairs, I don't advise her walking up them without being able to see. They're not the easiest stairs to use" the man stated as Kate nodded while squeezing her husband's hand.

"Going to remove the tie now?" she asked as Rick laughed.

"Nope" he declared before lifting her into his arms as she squealed, surprised by him lifting her off the ground. Following the man up the stairs, Rick smiled as he continued to hold Kate in his arms while her head continued to turn from side to side like she was trying to see her surroundings.

"You're in here Mr Castle" the waiter declared as Rick nodded and stared at the room, smiling at what the restaurant had done before. Nodding at the man, Rick smiled as the waiter left the room and his hands slowly moved to allow Kate to stand again.

"Ready?" he asked as she nodded.

"I'm ready, let me see" she begged as his hands moved towards the tie and slowly undid the knot before moving it away from her eyes. Looking around, shock covered Kate's face as she took in the room around her. It was perfect and completely private with a table placed in the centre of the room that was filled with a dim light as well as candles that covered the window sill. "This is amazing" she declared before throwing her arms around her husband's neck. "You did all of this in a couple of hours?" she asked as he shrugged.

"I know people" he declared as she nodded and pressed a kiss to his lips before moving towards the table. Sitting down, Kate sighed as she looked around the room and took in everything the writer had done to make her feel better. "I already called about the menu, food should be here soon" he declared as she nodded again, knowing that the writer had planned everything to perfection.

"You're wonderful Richard Castle" she admitted as she reached across and linked her fingers with his. "Thank you" she whispered.

"I'd do anything to see that extraordinary smile on your face Kate" he declared before pressing a kiss to her hand and smiling as two waiters walked in, one carrying drinks while the other carried two plates of food. "This looks amazing, thank you" Rick told the waiters who nodded quickly and smiled before silently leaving the room.

"Rick, no way does this restaurant make this meal" she declared as she stared down at the meal the waiters had placed in front of her. "This looks like my mom's…" she began as he bit into his lip while shock covered her face. "Rick?" she asked quickly as he looked across and noticed the small smile that was creeping onto her amazed face.

"I wanted you to have something special so I got the recipe of your favourite meal and gave it to the chef who would do anything to get my autograph for his wife and here you go. It's probably not as good as your mother's because he's a different cook but he's followed every word your mom scribbled down" he explained as she stood up and walked towards him before quickly pressing a kiss to his lips.

"Every time I think you've done the best thing you could ever do for me Rick, you do something even better" she admitted before moving back to her seat and taking a bit of the meal. "Rick this is perfect" she whispered, her eyes shutting as she took in every mouthful of the meal as he watched; just happy to see her smiling again.

**I'm not sure about this chapter, please tell me what you think! **


	45. Chapter 45

**This chapter is pitifully short but it leads into the next story perfectly! Hopefully you enjoy it and don't hate me too much for my evilness! **

Holding the case file close to his heart, Rick sighed as he entered the building and stared at the man who was stood at the doorway watching him. Was he really doing this? Was he really going to risk his relationship by trying to strengthen it through getting the answers Kate had been searching for? Sitting down at the table, Rick stared at the man who quickly sat opposite him before he rested the file on the table and watched it for a moment. If he did this it would mean no going back. He would be going behind his wife's back; he would be investigating a case that no one had any answers for and desperately hoping that she forgave him one day.

"So Mr Castle what can I do for you?" the man asked as Rick slowly ran his fingers across the folder. He was going to open everything up! He was going to be opening everything that Kate was terrified of. "Is this the case you wanted me to look at when we talked on the phone?" he asked quickly as Rick pushed it towards him and watched as the older man slowly opened the file and began to read through it. "Is this someone important to you?" he whispered.

"She was my mother in law" Rick admitted as the man nodded and continued to read the file. "I just need you to see whether you can find anything new, anything that wasn't found before" he stated as the man continued to nod while focusing completely on the file. "You'll call me if you find anything new?" Rick asked as he stood up and stared at the man for a moment who quickly looked up at him.

"I'll call the moment I find something" he explained as Rick nodded slowly before letting himself out of the apartment, knowing that whatever he did today was going to have a massive effect on the future of his marriage!

**You're all going to hate me but this is going to be the last chapter of this story! **

**I know it's a shock but I couldn't think of anything else to write in this story and I wanted it to end on this chapter so you've got another excited story to come into. At least I hope you still want another story and what you thought of this! **

**I also quickly want to explain why I ended the story here. I want to start a new story with the new chapter of their lives. The next chapter is going to be a lot more of Johanna's case and there will be more scenes of Kate at the precinct and I hope you understand why I decided to end this one where Kate is ending her time as a beat cop and is moving on to join the twelfth and where Rick is making that big decision which is going to have a massive impact on everyone's lives. Anyway please tell me what you think! **

**Thank you for taking this journey with me as well! **


End file.
